Extreme Climate/Weather Events: Lessons Learned from Water and Wastewater Utilities

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1 AWRA Summer Specialty Conference Climate Change Adaptation New Orleans, 2015 Extreme Climate/Weather Events: Lessons Learned from Water and Wastewater Utilities Katy Lackey, Research Specialist Water Environment Research Foundation Alexandria, VA Co-Authors: N. Beller-Simms, E. Brown, L. Fillmore, K. Metchis, K. Ozekin, C. Ternieden, and K. Lackey.

2 Project Background Working relationships began Unique partnership: o 2 federal agencies o 2 water-related foundations o Other research organizations Initial workshop (2010) research needs.

3 Agenda Project Objectives Case Study Sites Tidewater, Virginia Major Findings Path Forward Questions

4 Project Objectives Workshops where experienced extreme event(s). Impacts on utilities & communities. Response & future plans. Information needs & gaps. Project report in depth regional basin studies, synthesis.

5 Case Study Sites Figure 2-1. Extreme Event Case Study Locations and Number of Billion-Dollar Climate/Weather Disasters. Source: NOAA, 2013.

6 Tidewater Area, VA Workshop: September 19-20, 2012

7 Tidewater Area, VA Recent Extreme Events Hurricanes Isabel (2003) Irene (2011) Nor easters Ida (2009) Short Fuse (2012) Smaller storms, cumulative impacts Satellite Image of Hurricane Sandy approaching the United States. Credit: NOAA. Source: Higgins, 2012.

8 Tidewater Area, VA Climate & Water Trends: What We ve Seen Warmer waters (1 C already, 2-6 by 2100) Erratic precipitation (and more!) Sea level rise (Sewell s Point = ¼ inch rise since 2010) Table F-1. Sea Level Rise and Tidal Barriers in Tidewater Area, Virginia Projected Sea Level Rise (SLR) No SLR 17 days 30 cm SLR 120 days 50 cm SLR 195 days 100 cm SLR 214 days Source: adapted from Ramaley, # of Days High Tide Will Overtop Current Tidal Barrier in a Typical Year 1.5 feet = cm by 2100! Norfolk is 2 nd most vulnerable city to SLR after NOLA!

9 Tidewater Area, VA Flooding Impacts Community Deaths, injuries Loss of businesses Power outages Threats to Naval base ops Costs Utilities Water main breaks SSOs Dam failure Environment! Figure F-7. SSOs in Hampton Roads Area Year Number of Overflows Total Quantity (gal) * ,088, ,955, , , , , ,744, ,378, ,870, ,847,623 Source: adapted from EPA Wet Weather, 2011

10 Tidewater Area, VA Utility & Community Response: Short-Term Pre-Event Plan power sources & tree removal. Raise reservoir water levels to separate contaminated water. Water Main Break in Norfolk, VA During Hurricane Irene, Credit: City of Norfolk, Department of Utilities, Source: Tucker, Emergency services.

11 Tidewater, VA Utility & Community Response: Long-Term Revise plans, produce post-reports. Replace aging water mains. 2 nd tunnel to avoid tide-gate failure. Shoreline protection studies. LIDAR recurrent flooding study. Emergency response trainings. Public outreach update website and local emergency alert systems. Water Main Break in Norfolk, VA During Hurricane Irene, Credit: City of Norfolk, Department of Utilities, Source: Tucker, 2014

12 Tidewater Area, VA Lessons Learned & Opportunities 1. What-if and worst-case scenario planning prioritizes budgets and future response actions. 2. Successful solutions require a certain degree of sensitivity for people s and institutions values and concerns. Tidewater Area, VA.. Source: Bilkovic et al., 2012

13 Tidewater Area, VA Lessons Learned & Opportunities 3. Account for sea level rise in future design and maintenance practices. 4. Develop an overall flood strategy to ensure acute event preparation and long-term resilience. 5. Maintain and test emergency equipment and procedures + increase education/awareness for timely response.

14 Major Findings: Unique Experiences No silver-bullet for adaptation strategies Highlighting tangible examples that may (not) apply Learning from other communities, utilities, sectors Experiences as one point in time Taking a step towards resiliency

15 Major Findings: Common Themes 1. Managing the risks of extreme events Cascading Nature of Extreme Events Integrated Planning for Multiple Risks Resiliency Strategy Water utilities and firefighters in Central Texas worked side-by-side to re-pressurize pumps and repair meters melted during wildfires. Utilities tracked locations in need of emergency response when landmarks disappeared during fires with GPS.

16 Major Findings: Common Themes 2. Recognizing the importance of water services and infrastructure Emergency Response Resiliency Strategy Long-Term Preparedness Water Services as Critical Infrastructure In the ACF Basin, after the 2009 Flood, Douglas County refurbished their water resource recovery facility by installing overhead structures to lift pumps above flood levels and relocating the control room to a higher floor protects water quality and decreases recovery time to restore operations. Flooded BNR Basins and Blower Building, RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center. Photo Credit: City of Atlanta, Watershed Department. Source: Bush, 2012.

17 Major Findings: Common Themes 3. Building resilient communities Public Awareness Leadership & Innovation Community Decision-Making Within a Basin Resiliency Strategy DC Water Personnel Work Together to Prepare for Superstorm Sandy's Landfall. Credit: DC Water Employee. Source: Office of Emergency Management, DC Water. While grape growers worked with wine councils in the Russian River Basin to construct water storage ponds to reduce diversions during drought, 10 utilities in the Sonoma- Marin Saving Water Partnership adopted a regional strategy between cities to conserve water.

18 Major Findings: Common Themes 4. Creating actionable information Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration Resiliency Strategy In the Lower Missouri River Basin, Overland Park and Johnson County developed stormwatch.com, a localized flood warning system. The counties established an MOU with the NWS and worked with the USACE to collect data from weather stations in the metropolitan area. The website provides relevant, real-time weather data and customizable dashboards to assess flood risk. Active Engagement in Acquiring Information & Tools

19 Path Forward Synthesis meeting & Capitol Hill briefing, April 2013 Increasing awareness and public support Opportunities to rebuild differently Making information accessible On-going collaborative efforts

20 Expect the unexpected. Build partnerships and establish communication procedures ahead of time. So that when the time comes and you have to call an institution at 2am in the morning, they will actually pick up that phone and deliver that badly needed generator. Rajendra Bhattarai, Austin Water Utility

21 Final Report Co-Authors Special thanks to: Nancy Beller-Simms, NOAA Erica Brown, AMWA Lauren Fillmore, WERF Karen Metchis, EPA Kenan Ozekin, WRF Claudio Ternieden, WEF

22 Thank you! Partnering with WERF on this project and to improve the resiliency of water service practitioners:

23 Any Questions? Katy Lackey Research Specialist ext Full Report & 2-Pagers on Case Studies: eme_weather.aspx

24 Images & Figures All images, figures, tables are from the WERF CC7C11 report or were obtained for the report. Specific sources are credited where appropriate. Please do not reproduce without proper citation/permission.

25 Extra Info Slides Our definition of an extreme event: one that is highly unusual within local memory and that has significant consequences as defined by that community (in terms of impact, cost, etc.) Typically involve too much or too little water, at wrong time and/or in wrong place

26 Nor easters vs. Hurricanes Nor easter Hurricane Diameter Thousands of miles ~300 miles Speed Frequency Rating System Slower, can linger for days, have multiple tide cycles Annually (20-40 times/year on East Coast) No universal rating Faster Generally make landfall every 5 years Saffir-Simpson Scale (1-5)

27 Tidewater Area, VA Climate & Water Trends: ~33 feet above sea level Hours/year Figure F-5. Number of Hours of Flooding Per Year in Hampton Roads Year Source: Ezer and Corlett, Flooded roads during Isabel. Credit: U.S. Navy photo Source: Farmer, 2012.

28 Project CC7C11 Presentation based on Water/Wastewater Utilities and Extreme Climate and Weather Events: Case Studies on Community Response, Lessons Learned, Adaptation, and Planning Needs for the Future Co-Authors: N. Beller-Simms, E. Brown, L. Fillmore, K. Lackey, K. Metchis, K. Ozekin, and C. Ternieden.

29 Report Structure Chapter 1 Intro Chapter 2 Research Approach Chapter 3 Synthesized Findings Chapter 4 Looking Forward Appendices Case Studies *Also: useful tools, glossary

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