America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA)
Replacing vulnerability assessments
Many operators may remember conducting a vulnerability assessment back in 2002 as part of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act. A lot has changed since then and many events have brought to light how vulnerable water systems really are and how much we take potable water for granted. Natural disasters, detection of elevated lead and the need to replace aging water infrastructure can all put safe water at risk. Congress decided to look closely at the condition of drinking water infrastructure and water quality along with the financial and technical challenges that many public water systems face today.
Who is required to develop or update these plans?
In October of 2018 Congress enacted the America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA). As part of the AWIA, community drinking water systems serving more than 3,300 people are required to develop or update risk assessments and emergency response plans (ERPs). The AWIA specifies the components that the risk assessments and ERPs must address and establishes deadlines by which water systems must certify to EPA completion of the risk assessment and ERP. Submission deadlines of the certificates that the risk assessment and ERPs are complete have passed or are quickly approaching, as shown in the table below.
Certification Deadlines
| POPULATION SERVED | RISK ASSESSMENT PLAN | EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN |
| Greater than 100,000 | March 31, 2020 | by Sept. 30, 2020 |
| 50,000 to 99,999 | Dec. 31, 2020 | by June 30, 2021 |
| 3,301 to 49,999 | June 30, 2021 | by Dec. 20, 2021 |
Resources
EPA's AWIA - Risk Assessments and Emergency Response Plans
Information and trainings needed to complete a successful risk assessment and ERP, along with deadlines and how-to guidance.
Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center
Free webinars to educate operators and drinking water system owners on AWIA requirements.
➽ Tom Valenta, local assistance unit
