Risk Management For Water And Wastewater Utilities

Water risks and security are a major global hazard in the 21st century and it is essential that water professionals have a solid grounding in the principles of preventative risk management. This second edition of the key textbook, Risk Management for Water and Wastewater Utilities, extends beyond first principles and examines the practicalities of resilience and vulnerability assessment, strategic risk appraisal and the interconnectedness of water utility risks in a networked infrastructure. It provides an up-dated overview of tools and techniques for risk management in the context of the heightened expectations for sound risk governance that are being made of all water and wastewater utilities. Risk Management for Water and Wastewater Utilities provides a valuable starting point for newly appointed risk managers in the utility sector and offers MSc level self-paced study with self-assessment questions and abbreviated answers, key learning points, case studies and worked examples.

Real risk management is predicated on the eventuality of human erraticism and therefore necessitates the design of resilient systems, such as control measures, policies, procedures, processes, rules, checklists, and protocols, to protect organizations against unpredictability. However, these systems aren’t enough to prevent tragedies, they must be paired with an organizational culture that drives employee understanding, adherence, questioning, and enforcement of these systems. Success is conditioned on this interdependent relationship, meaning employees do the right thing, the right way every time, as they unequivocally support the underlying rationale of their organizational systems, mission, and purpose. This dynamic, inculcated way of thinking is intrinsic to high-reliability organizations and should be the aspiration of all executives, managers, and supervisors. Authors Gordon Graham and Paul Fuller impart a wide range of practical information on resilient systems- as these thoughtfully designed protocols, kept up-to-date and properly implemented, serve to minimize organizational risk in the water and wastewater industry. Features: Offers guidance for organizations to maximize service, enhance safety, and minimize liability. Presents fundamental background on risk, systems, risk management, as well as factors leading to industrial tragedies and how to avoid or mitigate them. Includes practical examples to demonstrate the necessary steps to transform a water facility into a highly reliable and safe organization. Centering on organizational risk management, Practitioner’s Handbook of Risk Management for Water & Wastewater Systems provides the investigative tools for risk assessments and risk/frequency matrixes to effectively recognize and prioritize the thousands of risks facing professionals working in the water and wastewater industry today.

Each year more than 200 million people are affected by floods, tropical storms, droughts, earthquakes, and also operational failures, wars, terrorism, vandalism, and accidents involving hazardous materials. These are part of the wide variety of events that cause death, injury, and significant economic losses for the countries affected. In an environment where natural hazards are present, local actions are decisive in all stages of risk management: in the work of prevention and mitigation, in rehabilitation and reconstruction, and above all in emergency response and the provision of basic services to the affected population. Commitment to systematic vulnerability reduction is crucial to ensure the resilience of communities and populations to the impact of natural and manmade hazards. Current challenges for the water and sanitation sector require an increase in sustainable access to water and sanitation services in residential areas, where natural hazards pose the greatest risk. In settlements located on unstable and risk-prone land there is growing environmental degradation coupled with extreme conditions of poverty that increase vulnerability. The development of local capacity and risk management play vital roles in obtaining sustainability of water and sanitation systems as well as for the communities themselves. Unfortunately water may also represent a potential target for terrorist activity or war conflict and a deliberate contamination of water is a potential public health threat. An approach which considers the needs of communities and institutions is particularly important in urban areas affected by armed conflict. Risk management for large rehabilitation projects has to deal with major changes caused by conflict: damaged or destroyed infrastructure, increased population, corrupt or inefficient water utilities, and impoverished communities. Water supply and sanitation are amongst the first considerations in disaster response. The greatest water-borne risk to health in most emergencies is the transmission of faecal pathogens, due to inadequate sanitation, hygiene and protection of water sources. However, some disasters, including those involving damage to chemical and nuclear industrial installations, or involving volcanic activity, may create acute problems from chemical or radiological water pollution. Sanitation includes safe excreta disposal, drainage of wastewater and rainwater, solid waste disposal and vector control. This book is based on the discussions and papers prepared for the NATO Advanced Research Workshop that took place in Ohrid, Macedonia under the auspices of the NATO Security Through Science Programme and addressed problems Risk management of water supply and sanitation systems impaired by operational failures, natural disasters and war conflicts. The main purpose of the workshop was to critically assess the existing knowledge on Risk management of water supply and sanitation systems, with respect to diverse conditions in participating countries, and promote close co-operation among scientists with different professional experience from different countries. The ARW technical program comprised papers on 4 topics, : (a) Vulnerability of Wastewater and Sanitation Systems, (b) Vulnerability of Drinking Water Systems, (c) Emergency response plans, and (d) Case studies from regions affected by Drinking Water System, Wastewater and Sanitation System failures.

"Real risk management is predicated on the eventuality of human erraticism and therefore necessitates the design of resilient systems, such as control measures, policies, procedures, processes, rules, checklists, and protocols, to protect organizations against unpredictability. However, these systems aren't enough to prevent tragedies, they must be paired with an organizational culture that drives employee understanding, adherence, questioning, and enforcement of these systems. Success is conditioned on this interdependent relationship, meaning employees do the right thing, the right way every time, as they unequivocally support the underlying rationale of their organizational systems, mission, and purpose. This dynamic, inculcated way of thinking is intrinsic to high-reliability organizations and should be the aspiration of all executives, managers, and supervisors. Authors Gordon Graham and Paul Fuller impart a wide range of practical information on resilient systems- as these thoughtfully designed protocols, kept up-to-date and properly implemented, serve to minimize organizational risk in the water and wastewater industry. Features: Offers guidance for organizations to maximize service, enhance safety, and minimize liability. Presents fundamental background on risk, systems, risk management, as well as factors leading to industrial tragedies and how to avoid or mitigate them. Includes practical examples to demonstrate the necessary steps to transform a water facility into a highly reliable and safe organization. Centering on organizational risk management, Practitioner's Handbook of Risk Management for Water & Wastewater Systems provides the investigative tools for risk assessments and risk/frequency matrixes to effectively recognize and prioritize the thousands of risks facing professionals working in the water and wastewater industry today"--

This book serves as a technical yet practical risk management manual for professionals working with water and wastewater organizations. It provides readers with a functional comprehension of water and wastewater operations as well as a broad understanding of industry derivations and various stakeholder interconnectivity. This knowledge is imperative, as most administrative professionals are proficient in their respective areas of expertise but sometimes lack fluency on the broader technical aspects of their organization’s purpose, operations, and externalities. It also examines risk management best practices and provides an actionable review of doing the right thing, the right way, every time through a combination of core risk management principles. These include enterprise, strategic, operational, and reputational risk management, as well as risk assessments, risk/frequency matrixes, checklists, rules, and decision-making processes. Finally, the book addresses the importance of risk transfer through insurance policies and provides best practices for the prudent selection of these policies across different scenarios. Features: Provides an understanding of water and wastewater technical operations to properly implement sound risk management and insurance programs. Emphasizes the importance of building well-designed, resilient systems, such as policies, processes, procedures, protocol, rules, and checklists that are up to date and fully implemented across a business. Offers a detailed look into insurance policy terms and conditions and includes practical checklists to assist readers in structuring and negotiating their own policies. Handbook of Risk and Insurance Strategies for Certified Public Risk Officers and Other Water Professionals combines practical knowledge of technical water/wastewater operations along with the core subjects of risk management and insurance for practicing and aspiring professionals charged with handling these vital tasks for their organizations. Readers will also gain invaluable perspective and knowledge on best-in-class risk management and insurance practices in the water and wastewater industries.

In the 21st century, risk management has become a water utility manager's central function. Beyond the preserves of public health protection and the maintenance of process performance, utility managers must also assess and manage legal, regulatory, financial, environmental, resource, and reputational risks in a complex and demanding business climate that is subject to an unprecedented pace of change. The implications of their decisions stretch well beyond company structures to the public, regulators, consumers, elected officials, politicians, and shareholders. The study adopted a range of methods incorporating a critical literature review, structured interviews, transcription and analysis, benchmarking, a self-assessment, and an audit. This report provides a critical review of the risk analysis strategies used by water utilities for better decision-making. The review was formed from an international workshop on risk analysis, several discussions with utility and risk managers, presentations, and structured interviews with utility staff. The report summarizes the status of risk management in the water utility sector among the participating and collaborating utilities. The research developed a capability maturity model for risk management (CMM-RM) in the utility sectors and used it to benchmark representatives of the international water utility sector.

This manual of practice covers public water utility management. It is designed for new or experienced managers, accountants, and supervisors.