WEF announces security training for small POTWs
The Water Environment Federation (WEF), through a cooperative agreement with EPA, recently announced a new round of security training for small publicly owned treatment works (POTWs).
Since 2002, the WEF has been working to train all-size water and wastewater utilities to assess and reduce vulnerabilities to human-made threats and natural disasters. Previous training programs have focused on large, medium POTWs and Train-the-Trainer sessions for state and local training and assistance providers. These workshops utilize the VSAT software (Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool) and assist POTWs staff to conduct an assessment specifically designed for their circumstances. Training for each series was developed for a specific POTWs size range with a focus on the needs of those facilities but are similar and versatile enough to benefit any size facility.
The latest program consists of 10 regional workshops (below) designed to assist small POTWs, those treating 2.5 - 5 million gallons per day (mgd) of wastewater, to conduct a vulnerability assessment (VA) of their facility and update their emergency response plan (ERP) based on that assessment:
Albany, NY - April 20-22
Columbus, OH - June 1-3
Austin, TX - June 22-24
Salt Lake City, UT - July 20-22
Charleston, SC - September 7-9
St. Louis, MO - September 21-23
Olympia, WA - October 12-14
Washington, DC (Post-WEFTEC 05) - November 2-4
Memphis, TN - November 16-18
Santa Barbara, CA - December 13-15
Other size facilities will be eligible for the training sessions on a space available basis. Travel scholarships have also been made available to POTWs staff traveling 100 miles or more to attend the workshops. For more information and to register, visit http://www.wef.org/watersecurity/.
This article originally appeared in the 03/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.