National Drinking Water Clearinghouse
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6064
Morgantown, WV
26506-6064

Until Next Time...

Staying Ahead of the Threat

by Kevin Odegard
Water Distribution Manager 2,
Peninsula Light Company

As our lives run on an uncharted path, we are still trying to pull together the once blissful lifestyle of a country now scattered and confused. All the planning in the world could not prepare us for what we now face. Our main objective has become staying one step ahead of any threat, in addition to safeguarding the communities in which we live. Out from the cross-connection control manuals and literature from every advisory sect in the world, emerge the dust-covered, emergency-procedure manuals we wrote in hopes that we would never need to use them. So we delve in and realize not only why they were written, but also what they lack.

As the old adage goes: “Prevention is the best medicine.” Avoiding an attack altogether is the ideal situation. If our utility does receive a threat, we would first decide the plausibility. This job would be directed to local law enforcement. If they decide that the threat is credible, we will then take action. However, preparing for a threat must begin somewhere.

For small systems that use groundwater sources like those we have at Peninsula Light Company, preparedness begins with our sanitary surveys. If one has not been done on the system, we refer to our list of criteria from the Department of Health. Doing our own sanitary surveys has helped us stay ahead and not miss a single problem. Whether it may be surface or groundwater, source water protection is the place to start.

Securing our sites is next. Most sites are protected on some level from vandalism, but we could upgrade some sites. We check the fencing for potential access points and secure locks on doors and reservoir lids. We have installed lighting at some of our facilities and it has helped deter would-be vandals. Also, we frequently check systems, which has been a reasonable means of protection. Educating our customers has been one of our primary focuses. In our monthly newsletters to our members, we have asked for their support as eyes and ears in the field. All water sources need a close watch, and what better “intelligence networks” are there than the people who see them everyday. Whether it is one of our sites or a neighboring system, all water sources must be safeguarded.

We also are working to establish relationships with the emergency response community before something happens. Meeting these representatives for the first time in an emergency is something we hope to avoid. We also appointed a spokesperson for our utility. Mixed messages from different contacts can be misconstrued and the potential for inaccuracies and assumptions may arise. Mixed messages also may lead to mass hysteria—which may be almost as dangerous as a real outbreak from the standpoint of trust and credibility of our utility. In a real emergency, having a trustworthy stance may be the difference between our utility looking scattered and confused or under control and able to handle what’s before us.

Finally, communication will play the major role in the event of a true emergency. It may be the common thread in keeping a situation under control and our operators able to focus on their real jobs, to keep the communities water supply safe and consumer confidence at it’s highest level. Odegard serves as the Peninsula Light Company’s Cross Connection Control Specialist, Water Distribution specialist, and a Backflow Assembly Tester in Washington. He has 12 years
experience in the water industry.