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Showing posts with label CoWARN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CoWARN. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Acute team: How does the WQCD help you prepare for and respond to acute incidents?


Back in October, we discussed different types of acute health risks, what they are, how to report them, and how to prepare your water system. Today, we want to introduce the Drinking Water Acute Team at the Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) that responds to and supports public water systems when acute incidents occur.

What is an Acute Health Risk?

Common situations that may pose an acute health risk include:

  • Loss of pressure in a distribution system over a large area, such as from main breaks, power outages, or planned construction
  • Detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in finished water:
    • When confirmed by a repeat sample
    • Upon first detection if other information suggests the water may be unsafe
    • When follow-up E. coli testing is not completed after a positive total coliform result
  • Natural disasters that impact treatment, distribution, or source water quality
  • Cross connection or backflow incidents that can create contamination
  • Other circumstances that may result in contamination of drinking water

Acute Team Process and Response

When WQCD becomes aware of a situation that may pose an acute health risk, it convenes the Acute Team. This team is made up of experienced staff from multiple sections of the Safe Drinking Water Program.

The Acute Team will:

  • Contact the impacted public water system to discuss the situation
  • Determine whether the situation qualifies as an acute health risk
  • Decide if public notification is required and what type and methods are appropriate
  • Work with the system to identify the best course of action
  • Specify any additional steps needed to eliminate the health risk

All actions are taken in accordance with Colorado’s Primary Drinking Water Regulations and Safe Drinking Water Program Policy 1: Response to Acute Health Threats at Public Water Systems.

Policy 1 helps WQCD protect public health and implement the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations (Regulation 11). Its purpose is to outline the WQCD’s approach to protecting drinking water consumers from acute health risks using methods such as requiring public water systems to quickly notify customers when an acute health hazard exists.

What a typical Acute Team response looks like:

1. Responding to an incident report 

The Acute Team receives a report, often through the CDPHE Incident Reporting Line (1-877-518-5608), and contacts the impacted water system to gather details.

2. Evaluation of gathered information 
 
The Acute Team reviews the information provided and determines the appropriate response, including whether a boil water or bottled water advisory and associated Tier 1 public notice are needed. Reporting an incident does not automatically result in an advisory. For small water outages, please refer to our Pressure Loss Guidance. 
 
3. Steps to resolve the acute health risk
WQCD staff talk through the necessary actions to resolve the health risk with the water system. This may include:
    • Public notice and distribution methods
    • Repairing impacted portions of the treatment or distribution system
    • Disinfecting and flushing the distribution system
    • Identifying the number and location of follow-up samples
    • Sampling to ensure the water is safe to drink
    • Communicating actions taken and results to the WQCD
4. Ongoing Support 
 
We encourage you to rely on the network of associations, non-profits, county, and state partners as you respond to and recover from acute situations: 
 
WQCD: Acute Team remains available for questions and may check in periodically for updates. Additionally, the WQCD can review materials such as draft customer communications and sampling or flushing plans. We also offer support through our close relationship with Technical Assistance providers throughout the state, including but not limited to: WQCD Local Assistance Unit, Colorado Rural Water Association, Rural Communities Assistance Corp, Water Now Alliance, and many others.

CoWARN: The Colorado Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network is a coalition of drinking water and wastewater providers, engineers, technical assistance providers, and other water sector providers. The network aims to provide assistance between members during emergencies that affect your ability to provide drinking water and/or wastewater services to your customers and communities. Membership is free to join and easy to use.

Local Public Health Agencies and Emergency Managers: Working with your local public health agency is crucial to navigate an acute health risk. Many public health agencies have contacts with critical local customers (healthcare facilities, daycares, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.) and can help you coordinate communication and additional requirements for them. Local public health agencies may also support water delivery efforts and activate their emergency response teams. 
 
5. Resolution 
 
Once the water system has completed all required actions, the Acute Team reviews the steps taken and any sampling results. WQCD uses this information to confirm that the acute health risk has been resolved and will lift the boil or bottled water advisory. 
 

Emergency Planning

Public water systems should prepare for the steps in this response process in advance.
 
1. Work with partners: You have partners in a variety of state and local agencies. We highly suggest that you coordinate with them prior to an acute event to ensure fast and efficient emergency response.

    •  Establish contact with local authorities, public health organizations, and other local water/wastewater providers. Identify up-to-date contacts and develop a communication plan.
    • Reach out to your Local Emergency Manager and Local Emergency Planning Committee to ensure your system is part of the conversation about interdependencies with other critical infrastructure suppliers. Consider attending Local Emergency Planning Committee meetings to review emergency plans and incident command structure for your local response teams.
    • Coordinate with your communications team to draft potential notices and make a plan to navigate delivering tier 1 public notices. 
2. Complete emergency management documents: The EPA has extensive drinking water-specific emergency management planning documents, templates, and checklists. Even if you have already completed some of these documents, please review them to ensure acute scenarios are covered.
3. Ensure you have CoWARN Access: If your system has had a CoWARN membership for decades or if you are a new member, we highly recommend that you log into the new website to ensure that you have the correct login credentials and that you are set up to activate CoWARN when the need arises.
➽ Chelsea Cotton, Lead Drinking Water Engineer
➽ Kyra Gregory, Local Assistance Unit Manager

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Wildfire Response and Recovery Resources for the Water Sector

The Water Quality Control Division has resources available to assist your county, municipalities, communities, and water and wastewater systems through wildfire response and recovery processes. 

General resources

  • CO - Post Fire Playbook: updated May 2025. 
  • After the Flames: general community resource. 
  • CoWARN: Use CoWARN if you need to, update your profile so you receive activations, and utilize the message board to discuss post-fire treatment issues, etc. 

Best practices to protect public health and comply with regulatory requirements

Communicate with the division if your water or wastewater system’s source water, collections system, treatment, or distribution system may be impacted by a wildfire. 

Non-emergency concerns for planning and response: 

  • Drinking water - communicate with your compliance specialist. 
  • Wastewater - communicate with the division’s Lead Wastewater Engineer - David Kurz  (303)692-6298.

Emergency concerns: 

  • Immediate challenges with treatment, distribution, and collections, call the department’s 24-hour Incident Report Line - 1-877-518-5608
  • Drinking water - Please consult the Pressure Loss Response Guidance for additional information on pressure loss/outages. 
  • If any portion of your distribution system was burned by the fire, please consult the WQCD acute team regarding flushing, sampling, and potential advisories. Contact Lead Drinking Water Engineer, Chelsea Cotton, chelsea.cotton@state.co.us, and the acute team email inbox, cdphe.wqacutes@state.co.us 
  • If any portion of your distribution system loses pressure for any reason, such as wildfire impacts to infrastructure, power outage or intentional shutdown due to evacuation, please call the department’s 24-hour Incident Report Line - 1-877-518-5608.
  • If you are a surface water system and have filtration concerns, including but not limited to, if you are unable to meet your microbial removal or are getting close to exceeding your turbidity limits, following a wildfire, please call your compliance specialist. If you are calling outside of normal business hours please call the Incident Report Line. 

Best management practices for immediate response: 

Communicate the following information to the incident management team: locations of critical infrastructure, special considerations or hazards such as high-voltage power, chlorinators, source water protection areas.  If you don’t have a direct line of communication with the incident management team, please reach out to our 24-hour report line and the department emergency management team will assist you with getting the correct point of contact. 

  • Evacuation 
    • Pay attention to all emergency alerts, instructions, and evacuate immediately if asked by authorities.
    • Turn off air conditioning or air circulation systems.
    • Detach any electrical garage doors.
    • Have an N-95 or other type of respirator available, if possible, to limit exposure to smoke and other toxic fumes.
  • Re-entry
    • Consult with the local incident management team before any utility personnel re-enter the facility. 
    • Minimize the risk of inhaling dust particles by wetting debris.
    • If returning from evacuation, remember that dangers could still exist for personnel such as hot spots, charred and fallen trees, downed power lines, smoldering and falling debris, sinkholes, mud, and landslides, etc.
  • Resources

Best management practices for long-term recovery:  

➽ Kyra Gregory Drinking Water Training Specialist 

➽ Chelsea Cotton, P.E. Lead Drinking Water Engineer

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Acute Health Risks - Can it happen to you?

The below article is a re-run and update from an article published in the 2007 Summer Aqua Talk newsletter. Since then, the water sector has navigated many acute and emergency situations in partnership with the WQCD. We value your continued partnership and vigilance as you protect the public health and environment for our communities. 

We could all learn a little something from the Boy Scouts, especially when it comes to acute health risks in drinking water systems. Acute health risks that must be reported can be caused by events such as:

  • Acute total coliform maximum contaminant level violations (when fecal or E. Coli is present);
  • Failure to collect repeat samples after a fecal or E. Coli positive sample;
  • Failure to test for fecal or E. Coli in a total coliform positive repeat sample;
  • Nitrate, nitrite or total nitrate nitrite maximum contaminant level violations;
  • Failure to take nitrate or nitrite confirmation sample within 24 hours after receipt of the first sample showing exceedance of the maximum contaminant level;
  • Surface water treatment rule violations, such as not using a filter cartridge, not feeding coagulant, or a single exceedance of the maximum allowable turbidity limit or failure to maintain chlorine level entering the distribution system; etc).
  • Suspected waterborne disease outbreak;
  • Situations such as depressurization of a distribution system due to a line break or loss of power;
  • Uncontrolled cross connections that contaminate the water supply;
  • A treatment or supply emergency (for example, failure or significant interruption of key water treatment processes, a natural disaster that disrupts water supply, chemical spill or unexpected loading of pathogens);
  • Tampering or vandalism that could have contaminated the water supply

Preparing for these situations can save lives, not to mention save you time and money. To help you keep your cool in a stressful situation, consider preparation measures such as:

  • Plan: Gather necessary forms and phone numbers, including the 24-Hour incident reporting hotline (877) 518-5608. 
  • Be familiar with the Public Notice wizard to create public notice templates and think through possible acute situations.
  • Designate people responsible for specific activities, make sure your Operator Delegation Plan is up to date.
  • Practice with benchtop exercises/drills. Use this coaching request form to request a  Local Assistance Unit benchtop exercise for your facility.

If your system has experienced tampering or suspected tampering, including a cyber attack, you are required to notify the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment immediately. For details, see section 11.2(1) of the Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulations and visit the Drinking Water Security Response Toolbox. Report physical and cyber security incidents to the WQCD Tampering Threat and Incident Report Form. 

For more information about acute procedures, please check Drinking Water Policy DW-0001 Response to Acute Health Threats from Public Water Systems, the Pressure Loss and Main Break Guidance and the Drinking Water Emergency information website.

CoWarn, the statewide Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CoWARN) of utilities helping utilities to prepare for the next natural or human-caused emergency is also a resource to help public water systems.

By being prepared, water suppliers can effectively handle emergency situations and potential acute situations to protect public health. 

➽ Heather Young, PE, CWP, Field Services Section Section Manager 

➽ Emily Clark, Drinking Water Enforcement Unit Manager

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Early 2025 CoWARN updates

The WQCD is sending the below updates in partnership with the CoWARN steering committee. We encourage all water and wastewater providers in Colorado to join the mutual aid network to enhance your preparedness for emergency incident preparation, response, and recovery. Please reach out to CoWARN administrator Kyra Gregory with any questions or if you have interest in joining the CoWARN steering committee made up of volunteers from water/wastewater providers in CO: kyra.gregory@state.co.us 303-908-7519. 

New CoWARN website launched, take action today!

Colorado's Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network launched a new and much-improved website in fall 2023! However, the new website could not retain all the information from the old website. So, all CoWARN members need to please update their membership profiles on the new website. So far, only 63 out of 246 CoWARN members have updated their membership information. Because of this there have been multiple CoWARN activations that many CoWARN members did not receive: Two Buttes 8/27/24, Gardner 8/29/24, Genoa 11/19/24. If you did not receive text or email notification of these activations, please take action today to update your contact information and system membership through the new CoWARN website.

How does the new website work?

As a CoWARN member your water or wastewater facility will have a profile on the website. Each member profile will assign primary users who can activate CoWARN to send out email/text messages to the CoWARN network. As a user under your facility’s membership, you will need to: 

  1. Reset your personal password
  2. Navigate to your dashboard by clicking on the red icon in the top right hand corner of the screen. 
  3. Update your personal information - be sure to add a cell phone number as you will need to receive a text message to log into the site. 
  4. Create your facility’s membership profile - Under “my systems” click “Add”. You are now the primary user for the membership profile. 
  5. Assign other primary users by clicking “Add” under “System Contacts” 

For more information and videos explaining the process, please follow these instructions and reach out to Kyra Gregory with any questions or issues you encounter. 

New Mutual Aid Agreement 

The CoWARN steering committee has revised the CoWARN Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement. Please sign and return a copy of the updated agreement to CoWARN administrator Kyra Gregory (kyra.gregory@state.co.us). See new MAA here. Please note this is the new agreement that went into effect on January 8th, 2025 regardless of received signatures. 

A short description of the updates is below. 

  • Correct Colorado Revised Statutes references 
  • Revise definitions of operational structure to better reflect current operations and create flexibility for any future structural changes
  • Remove specific language regarding agreement expiration
  • Clarify CoWARN’s role in activations and that CoWARN is not a guarantor in any transactions nor an administrator of transactions.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

New Act to Test Drinking Water Quality in Mobile Home Parks

Governor Polis signed the Mobile Home Park Water Quality Act in June 2023. The law creates a drinking water testing program for Colorado's mobile home parks. The goal is to test all parks for primary and secondary contaminants. Secondary contaminants are often related to an adverse smell, taste, and color. Mobile home parks are a vital source of relatively  affordable housing for many people. While some parks are regulated and meet the current drinking water standards, many residents feel that their drinking water is unsafe. As a result of these concerns and potential problems created with secondary contaminants, some residents feel compelled to buy bottled water for drinking and cooking. The testing will check if there is a water quality issue at each park. Remediation is required if there is a water quality issue that impacts the welfare and safety of the residents.

The department will test 750 parks across the state over a four year period. Each year, 25% of the parks must be tested. Testing will start in July 2024 and end in July 2028. The department is responsible for developing the overall testing plan, prioritizing the sampling, conducting stakeholder outreach, reviewing results, and requiring remediation. An independent contractor will conduct the testing. We will also interview park community members about water quality concerns. This will ensure representative testing in each park. 

Testing may include:

  • Primary contaminants: Testing will be conducted if the park is:
    • Not regulated as a public water system; or 
    • Does not receive its drinking water from another regulated public water system.
  • All parks will be tested for secondary contaminants (e.g., hardness, total dissolved solids, iron, odor, and manganese). 
  • All parks will be tested for “forever chemicals” (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)) unless:
    • The park has already participated in recent PFAS voluntary efforts; or 
    • The system they purchase water from has participated in recent PFAS voluntary efforts.  

All testing results will be posted on our website. We will notify the following entities within 10 days of receiving results:

Once notified, park owners must notify residents of results within five days. If the department identifies a water quality issue, the park owner must:

  • Include information about the issue in the notice
  • Prepare and submit a remediation plan within 120 days
  • Comply with any orders issued
  • Not pass the cost of compliance on the Park residents

The department is developing resources for both residents and park residents. This includes lists or websites for: 

  1. Professional translation vendors
  2. Certified contract operators
  3. Certified labs
  4. Colorado’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network
  5. Water haulers

What does this mean for water suppliers and operators?

Park owners or residents may ask about testing. If your water system sells water to a park, you may be contacted for additional information. Here is a list of Colorado’s registered parks across the state. Parks may want to tap into the local utility if testing identifies a water quality issue.

We anticipate that some parks may meet the definition of a public water system and be regulated. These systems will need to hire a certified operator, develop monitoring plans, and start testing the water. They may reach out to neighboring systems for operator referrals or questions about treatment. For example, if the park identified high levels of manganese, they might ask other systems what type of treatment they are using. 

 For more information, please visit our Mobile Home Park website.

➽ Stephanie Hosie, Drinking Water Compliance Assurance

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Coaches Classroom: New CoWARN website!


Colorado's Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CoWARN) is a free mutual aid network in which water and wastewater providers offer and receive assistance during emergency events. CoWARN has launched a new website! 

Required Action for CoWARN Members

If you are a current CoWARN member please reset your passwords through the new website to maintain your CoWARN membership. To reset your password please click on this link. If you encounter any issues with your password reset, please use this form to ask for assistance. Due to a high volume of assistance requests it may take 3-5 business days before the CoWARN administrator is able to get in touch and help resolve your issue. Thank you for your patience! 

After you reset your password please take the following action: 

  1. Log in using your new password. You will be automatically redirected to the home page.
  2. Locate the round red profile button in the top right corner of the page. Click on it to access your profile.
  3. On your profile page, you can update your personal information and add your utility. 
  4. Once you have made any necessary changes and added your utility, you will be able to access the new website functions.

New Website Functionality

This new website offers new functions:

Member managed activation: CoWARN members can now activate the CoWARN Network for emergency resource requests from their website profile. This feature enables emergency requests to be sent to the membership via email and text communications. Once assistance is received, it allows the Requestor to provide an update to the rest of the membership and close out the request.

Message board: CoWARN members now have access to a free message board where they can share lessons learned, discuss best management practices, and troubleshoot issues related to utility emergency management.

Events page: CoWARN often partners with state and federal agencies to put on emergency preparedness training events for water and wastewater providers. All events offered by CoWARN will be advertised on the events webpage. 

How to become a CoWARN member?

If you are interested in becoming a CoWARN member please go to the join CoWARN website, fill out and submit a mutual aid agreement, and fill out the contact information of the individual creating the CoWARN profile. You will be able to add additional contact information after your profile has been created. 

Thank you for all that you do to protect public health and the environment in Colorado! 

➽ Kyra Gregory Drinking Water Training Specialist and CoWARN Administrator

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

You’ve met your AWIA requirements - now what?

As many of you know, on October 23, 2018, America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) was signed into law. AWIA Section 2013 required community drinking water systems serving more than 3,300 people to develop or update risk assessments and emergency response plans (ERPs) and submit a statement of certification for each document to the EPA. The deadline for both the risk assessment and emergency response plan has come and gone. Many systems may be asking, What now?

EPA built a framework to help drinking water and wastewater systems build resilience, which involves the following elements: 

  • Assess
  • Plan
  • Train 
  • Respond
  • Recover 

So, now that you have assessed risks to your system and written a plan you can move forward with training your staff on emergency planning, responding to emergencies as they arise, and recovering from unexpected upsets.

Below are some resources to help you with each of these aspects of emergency management: 

1. Train 

2. Respond

3. Recover

How to keep your plan up to date?

Another aspect of keeping you and your team prepared for any situation is to periodically review your risk assessment and emergency management plan. A crucial part of your emergency planning is creating and sustaining partnerships in your community and in your county. Your major partners include: 

  • Local Emergency Planning Committee
  • Local police departments, fire department, emergency medical services 
  • Other local critical infrastructure: gas, electric, etc. 
  • Critical customers: child care facilities, hospitals, dialysis centers, schools, etc.

Thank you for all that you do to protect the public health of your communities, especially during emergencies! 

➽ Kyra Gregory, Drinking Water Training Specialist 


Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Test Your Emergency Planning: Upcoming CoWARN Functional Exercise

Click here to register for the free event
Click here to view the FE agenda 
The Colorado Water and Wastewater Agency Response Network (CoWARN) is hosting a free virtual EPA-sponsored communication-based functional exercise (FE) for water and wastewater system owners and operators, emergency management staff, and response partners from local, state and federal agencies. The virtual FE will provide an opportunity for participants to exercise emergency response capabilities in response to a hypothetical winter storm scenario affecting water and wastewater systems. Visit http://www.cowarn.org/ for more information about this mutual aid network. Once registered you will receive a link to join the event, which will use the Zoom virtual platform. Training units will be offered for the training for drinking water and wastewater operators. The FE facilitators, Horsley Witten Group (EPA Contractor), will contact you to discuss the FE in further detail. 

Who should attend?
This FE is open to CoWARN member and non-member utilities and response partners (e.g., emergency management, healthcare facilities) interested in learning more about water sector mutual aid.

Contact information:
CoWARN related questions can be directed to Kyra Gregory (CoWARN administrator), Colorado Department of Health and Environment, by email kyra.gregory@state.co.us. 
Functional Exercise related questions can be directed to Will Keefer (wkeefer@horsleywitten.com) of the Horsley  Witten Group (EPA Contractor) who is assisting with the planning and facilitation of the event.  

Request for input from members: 
As a part of the functional exercise on 3/22 the CoWARN steering committee would like to engage with CoWARN members that that requested a CoWARN activation in the last 5 years. If you are interested in speaking about your experience at the functional exercise to share lessons learned please reach out to CoWARN's administrator Kyra Gregory at kyra.gregory@state.co.us.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

CoWARN Update Early 2022

What is CoWARN?

Colorado’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CoWARN) is a mutual aid network with a “utilities helping utilities” approach to emergency response and management. Who is more likely to have that specialized pump or valve your system needs to get back on line in a hurry? That’s right, another water or wastewater system. So join your peers in CoWARN and become part of the network dedicated to keeping our communities healthy, sanitary and safe.

CoWARN helps water and wastewater utilities :

  • Prepare for the next natural or human-caused emergency.

  • Organize response according to established requirements

  • Share personnel, equipment, and other resources statewide, during emergencies by agreement.

How to become a CoWARN member?

Download the Mutual Aid Agreement (Adobe® Acrobat® Reader is required to view the document). Then print, sign, and submit the agreement. You can submit the completed form by 1) scanning and emailing it to the CoWARN Website Administrator, 2) mailing it to the CoWARN Website Administrator, or 3) faxing it to the CoWARN Website Administrator.


Leadership update 

CoWARN begins 2022 with our new CoWARN chair Tobi Blanchard (Sr. Emergency Management Specialist with Colorado Springs Utilities) and vice chair Mike Wolf (Assistant General Manager for Todd Creek Metro Village). Angelo Carrier, our previous chair, will be stepping down effective this month and will continue to sit on the CoWARN steering committee. Thank you Angelo for your 5+ years of service as chair for this vital mutual aid network. This program runs  completely on a volunteer basis on behalf of the CoWARN members. CDPHE serves only as an administrative role and helps with funding too. We appreciate all of your time and support to direct CoWARN and keep us all moving towards greater resilience for the water/wastewater sector in our state. 

 

CoWARN Needs You! 

CoWARN is seeking new volunteers for its steering committee!

What does this entail?

CoWARN steering committee members help make decisions about the direction and scope of CoWARN’s activities. They are a group of volunteers who meet regularly to discuss topics of interest and delegate tasks to the CoWARN administrator. 


What is the time commitment?

The steering committee meets every other month. The meetings are scheduled for an hour and a half. Outside of the meetings there is little to no time commitment. The CoWARN administrator may run draft communications and ideas by the steering committee to get their input a few times a year. 


Who should join the steering committee?

Anyone who is interested in becoming a part of the steering committee and is involved with an institution that is a member of CoWARN is welcome to join! We especially encourage those associated with utilities throughout the state to join the steering committee. 


How do I get involved?

To join the steering committee please contact the CoWARN administrator:

Kyra Gregory 

kyra.gregory@state.co.us

303-908-7519 


If you are unsure if this is the right fit for you please feel free to contact Kyra and she will invite you to an upcoming meeting so you can get an idea of what we do.


➽ Kyra Gregory Drinking Water Training Specialist and CoWARN Administrator