What constitutes an Emergency?

A water system emergency is generally defined as a sudden, unexpected hazardous event that disrupts the normal supply of water and poses a potential threat to public health and safety due to contamination or an interruption in service.  

These emergencies can be broadly categorized as:

1. Natural-caused events:  Events stemming from environmental or weather conditions, such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, or severe storms that can damage infrastructure or contaminate water sources.

2. Technological/Mechanical failures:  Events resulting from equipment malfunctions or infrastructure issues, including broken water pipes, pump failures, power outages, or the failure of storage facilities such as tanks.

3. Human-caused events:  Incidents caused by human action, error, or neglect, such as chemical spills, backflow contamination events, vandalism, or deliberate acts of terrorism/sabotage.

The key criteria for defining an emergency are:

1. Suddenness:  The situation arises unexpectedly, requiring an immediate and rapid response to minimize negative consequences.

2. Health Risk:  The event makes the water unsafe to drink (eg. bacterial contamination, chemical presence) or compromises the system's ability to maintain minimum water quality standards.

3. Disruption of Service:  The event causes a significant loss of water quantity or pressure, disrupting the normal supply for consumers.