WERF Released Report on Extreme Climate and Weather Events

The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF; Alexandria, Va.) released a new report, Water/Wastewater Utilities and Extreme Climate Events: Case Studies on Community Response, Lessons Learned, Adaptation, and Planning Needs for the Future. The report, created in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Water Research Foundation (Denver) with input from other organizations such as the Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.), describes the effects and responses to extreme weather events at water sector utilities.

The report describes what happened in six communities that experienced one or more extreme climate or weather events where water services were disrupted. These services included drinking water supply, wastewater conveyance and treatment, and stormwater management. The report discusses how utility managers and other local water resource managers made decisions, what information was used to inform decisions, what institutional dynamics helped or hindered, and how water utilities and their communities are planning to deal with extreme events in the future.