Emergency water

Waterscan can assist in the design of contingency plans to mitigate the impacts of a supply interruption, and when necessary, the provision of emergency water.

Emergency supply plan checklist

A vital initial step is establishing a plan in advance of any supply interruption, and setting up contracts to support that.

It is essential that there is knowledge of the plan’s existence and location (typically, it would be stored as a sub-process within a client’s Business Continuity / Emergency Management plan), as well as having sufficient levels of authority present to enact it.

Preparedness

Businesses vary significantly in how they use water and even within similar industries or brands there can be massive variation between locations.

Designing site-specific plans with clients in advance of any interruption is a crucial first step.

Ensuring a clear line of easily accessible communication from the water user through to water wholesaler is essential. This helps raise awareness and create the most effective risk mitigation strategies for our clients, it is also a vital part of improving business resilience.

Response and recovery

If supply to a site is interrupted, the first step is to confirm whether it is a “network” issue or a “customer side” issue.

In the first instance, always contact your retailer and wholesaler to understand the nature and likely duration of a network issue. If a network issue is present, a wholesaler can assist with the provision of emergency supplies, though this is usually aimed at domestic usage only and wholesalers are unlikely to assist with your process use. This kind of event rarely lasts beyond 12 hours.

Where you require coverage for process usage either due to a network issue or a loss of water relating to an issue on your site, such as a major supply pipe failure. Waterscan has relationships in place to assist with emergency supply of potable water. This can include bottled water, tankers, and bowsers. However, it is absolutely essential that this is planned in advance, especially where significant volumes and the use of tankers are likely to be required.

Mitigation

For supply outages linked to network issues, it is unlikely a business can act in a way that will result in compete mitigation. However, drought warnings; weather forecasts for freezing temperatures; and even evidence of local highways and construction work can all be indicators of impending issues. Waterscan can help you assess how to feed those into preparedness planning to maximise positive impact.