Water and wastewater facility operators face mounting challenges as climate change alters weather patterns across the globe, resulting in increased flood risk and other hazards. This presentation outlines lessons learned from St. Charles, Missouri, where wastewater treatment facility operators faced off with record rainfall and consequent flooding in the spring of 2019. By leveraging employee experience, safety and hazard training, and collaboration with engineers and city stakeholders, the team was able to keep two wastewater treatment facilities online and operating safely. The presentation delivers practical, adaptable information to operators, facility managers, and water district/public works directors as they prepare their own resiliency and flood preparation strategies, whether they’re on the coast, in the Midwest, or elsewhere. Speakers will share their insights on how safety protocols, technology, and operator ingenuity combined to improve short-term outcomes in St. Charles and inform long-term emergency planning. Every flood event is different, making flexibility the most important part of navigating this emergency. Operations staff was able to leverage previous experience to prepare, taking steps such as monitoring river conditions; inventorying and stocking up on chemicals and other critical supplies—ensuring availability and accessibility for treatment facilities and pump stations, and identifying access, logistics, and remote operation alternatives in case any of these facilities became inaccessible. The team had contingency plans for several possible scenarios. The presentation focuses on communication between operators, city stakeholders, engineers, and vendors that ensured that all were on the same page, regardless of how the flood behaved. Documentation also proved critical in the aftermath and the presentation will address those outcomes and lessons learned about data collection and record keeping, especially in the context of a FEMA audit.

Contributor/Source

David Kitzmiller;Jeanee Dudley;Steve Lawrence

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