Making waves: How do we prepare for the next drinking water disaster?

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Water Management

Background:

• Societal expectation for water utilities to manage drinking water quality incidents effectively.
• Human errors frequently contribute to the escalation of drinking water quality issues globally.
• Effective preparation of personnel is crucial for managing drinking water quality incidents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a shift in the design of drinking water quality incident exercises.
• To enhance learning conditions and human-centric capabilities during incident response simulations.
• To offer a complementary strategy to traditional exercise approaches.

Main Methods:

• Critique of traditional drinking water quality incident exercises focused on testing and regulatory scrutiny.
• Proposal for integrating structured training sessions within exercises to provide guidance and support.
• Emphasis on fostering a strong learning environment through a blended approach.

Main Results:

• Traditional exercises, while necessary for regulatory compliance, can negatively impact participant experience.
• Integrating training into exercises creates a more conducive learning environment than standalone sessions.
• The proposed strategy aims to enhance preparedness and mitigate future drinking water quality disasters.

Conclusions:

• Exercises simulating drinking water quality incidents should evolve to prioritize learning and human factors.
• A combined approach of simulation and structured training enhances personnel capabilities.
• This strategy benefits water owners and operators through improved disaster mitigation and preparedness.