Now Is the Time to Enhance Resilience

Abstract

This February's winter storms hit Texas and neighboring states hard, causing an incredible amount of human suffering. The combination of the storm and unusually cold temperatures caused a series of cascading electrical generation and grid failures, resulting in millions of residents and critical infrastructure providers to be without power for several days (some even longer). As power started coming back online, the attention turned to drinking water. Many homes had frozen or burst plumbing from the lack of heat during the outage (exacerbated in many places by inadequate insulation and shallow cover on service lines). Millions more were under boil water advisories because of main breaks, loss of pressure during the electrical outage, or both. This incident is among the largest regional power disruptions in recent memory, but not the only one. Water utilities need to chart a path toward resilience, which can involve many different actions that work in tandem to reduce overall risk, while recognizing that risk can never be eliminated entirely. With few exceptions, the acquisition, treatment, and distribution of drinking water is critically dependent on electricity. Larger treatment facilities can easily use megawatts of power, making onsite backup power a major challenge. Generators would have to be the size of a small power plant, and they likely would be regulated as such. Onsite renewables and batteries can help address some components (such as monitoring and control systems), but they rarely are enough to power all systems. Whatever the case, backup power requires careful planning and coordination with experienced electricians and the electric utility, which may include creating a micro-grid. Several techniques exist to reduce the risk of prolonged power outage. First and foremost, it is essential to work with the electric utility to ensure you're on the priority restoration (or equivalent) list. Electric utilities catalog vital infrastructure within their networks and will assign crews to address critical outages ahead of others, but only if planned in advance. Make sure this list includes not only treatment facilities but also pump stations and any other critical facilities. Second, dual or dedicated feeds from your energy utility are recommended. Dual feeds from two different substations provide redundancy if one circuit goes down. A dedicated feed is a step further; usually this is directly from electric grid infrastructure that is typically less vulnerable to weather and other disruptions that might impact standard connections. Third, consider energy efficiency measures. Not only will energy efficiency save money over time, but it also reduces the electric demand and therefore eases load on the grid. In some areas, electric utilities will assist with energy efficiency measures. The same goes for load peak shaving efforts, where electric grid operators can ask for energy use reductions during certain hours, especially on peak days. With careful planning, water utilities can take advantage of these programs to reduce strain on the grid while reducing costs. A more efficient utility can run closer to normal operations during an emergency requiring reduced electric use or take better advantage of any limited backup power. Becoming more efficient and resilient is also a cornerstone of climate preparedness. Finally, consider backup power to the extent it is feasible. Although the largest facilities are unlikely to be able to provide full backup power on site, a combination of the above recommendations and limited backup power (through means such as generators, batteries, onsite renewables, and microgrids) can keep the most critical systems running during an outage. Keep in mind that neither generators nor batteries are interchangeable—the right type, size, and fuel source should be matched to the need. Although not a direct utility action, water utilities also can help emergency management and public health officials communicate with the public about personal preparedness. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that everyone keep at least three days’ worth of nonperishable food and water on hand in case of an interruption, and that everyone prepare for severe weather and utility service interruptions by having any needed items on hand. In areas where building codes may leave residential pipes and service lines vulnerable to freezing or damage, utilities can advocate for code updates and educate customers on the advantages of protecting their plumbing. Extreme weather is unavoidable, so utilities should plan for reasonable worst-case scenarios that consider incidents at regional scales. Long-term emergency planning can go a long way toward reducing the impacts by preparing to keep systems online, and when they are disrupted, having a strategy to get them back up as quickly as possible. Kevin M. Morley (kmorley@awwa.org) is manager of federal relations at the AWWA Government Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. Adam T. Carpenter is the energy and environmental policy manager at the AWWA Government Affairs Office in Washington, D.C.