Water Quality Control Division Procedures
Notification
by Public Water System (PWS).
When a PWS notifies the Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) that a
tampering incident is suspected or has occurred, the following procedure
will be used to record that contact, document the incident, and develop
an assistance plan for division staff.
Report the Contact.
Tampering incidents must be reported to
the
district engineer responsible for the area in which the system
is located and the
Safe Drinking Water Security Coordinator. In addition, a report that
tampering has occurred or is suspected should be reported to the
senior management team of the Water Quality Control Division of
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) (see
Contacts section of Go Kit).
Complete Form 1 from Go Kit.
Tampering Threat and Incident Report. Gather as much
information from the initial contact as possible. Additional data
can be added from secondary sources or additional contacts with the
system. This form is also available as an electronic Microsoft
Access form, which stores the data collected in the Contacts Table
of the Drinking Water Tampering Database (I:\Drinking
Water\Tampering).
-
Identify Responses.
The event will trigger the involvement of WQCD's
Emergency Coordination Group and the district engineer. The
Emergency Coordination Group will evaluate the situation and
determine appropriate responses, which may include sampling of the
water supply. Sampling may include field-testing conducted by the
National Guard's Civil Support Team or the EPA's FOSC (see Contacts
section).
-
Take
Corrective Actions.
The WQCD district engineer will advise the operator
on corrective actions and assist with the implementation of such
actions, including arranging an alternate water supply, if
necessary, notifying the fire department if the system has to be
shut down, and taking suspect facilities out of service.
-
Provide Public Notification.
The public must also be notified about the situation
and any precautions (such as not using the water or boiling it
before using) that should be followed. Public notification will be
done with the assistance of the district engineer and/or the CDPHE
Office of Communications, if requested.
-
Establish Closure.
The incident will be closed when the Emergency
Coordination Group declares it to be over and when corrective
actions, including necessary notifications, have been completed and
the water system is back in service. Flushing and re-sampling may be
required before the incident is closed; the completion of a criminal
investigation may not be necessary.
-
Notification by Other Parties.
If the WQCD is notified by parties other than the
affected water system (i.e. witness, perpetrator, law enforcement),
WQCD staff should use Forms 2 - 6 from the Go Kit, as appropriate to
the circumstances, to gather information and evaluate the situation.
WQCD staff should inform the water system of the event and follow
the procedures above.
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