Safe and secure drinking water is the highest priority, and water systems are continuing to assess their vulnerabilities and taking action to maintain and improve emergency response and security. The DWGB is working to provide systems with the training and tools necessary to continue to protect the state's drinking water and meet new emergency planning and security challenges. Env-Ws 360.01 Notification of Impairment requires community and non-community, non-transient water systems to notify the DWGB within 24 hours of an emergency or security breach. Specifically the rule requires notification whenever treatment of a public water supply is interrupted, or the source of the supply is damaged or depleted so as to impair, or likely to impair, the quality or the sufficiency of the supply. Or after discovery of any actual or suspected tampering, sabotage, security breach, or any suspicious incident at the water system. For Emergency Calls: -Call 271-2513 (or if no answer call the main lobby at 271-3503 and ask for the DWGB and explain that it is an emergency call). -Your call will be answered by DWGB staff. Our emergency contact person will document the information, offer assistance and make sure that all other necessary notifications have been made. Emergencies generally have a wide range of severity and can be caused by a variety of things including natural occurrences, accident, vandalism or terrorism. For normal repair issues, where public health is generally not jeopardized, notification is not required (i.e. routine maintenance and repairs which can be handled by system staff such as minor line break, mechanical problems, short power outage, scheduled shut downs, etc.). For Security Calls: -Call 271-7017 (or if no answer call the main lobby at 271-3503 and ask for the DWGB). -Your call will be answered by DWGB staff. Our security contact person will document the information, offer assistance and make sure that all other necessary notifications have been made. After hours all calls should go to the State Police (800-852-3411) who will notify the appropriate Bureau at DES. For all other DES issues the numbers are listed on the notification card. Systems should have the following basic information ready when reporting an emergency or incident: Name of person reporting emergency/incident. EPA #, System Name and Town. Date & time emergency/incident occurred. Location where emergency/incident occurred. What occurred? What equipment or service has been interrupted or affected in any way? Who has been notified? What actions have been taken? In all cases the system's emergency plan should be implemented and local first responders should be notified as necessary. In an effort to increase communications and improve emergency response the Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau (DWGB) has created the emergency response notification and procedure card. The card was developed so that water systems will know who to call at the DWGB during an emergency and when. It is important that systems notify the DWGB during an emergency or security incident for several reasons. Most importantly the DWGB is available for assistance and guidance. Notification will allow the DWGB to track any suspicious activities throughout the state to watch for trends. Water system security is a serious issue and while these types of incidents may have been overlooked in the past they need to be investigated and managed seriously by the water system and local law enforcement. Notification will also identify system weaknesses and needs so that the DWGB can work with water systems to develop ways to prevent further incidents. The notification cards are versatile and can be hung up in pump houses, treatment buildings, offices, company vehicles, or kept within the system's emergency plan. The card lists emergency procedures on one side and important DES phone numbers on the other side. When in doubt please call the DWGB. It is better to call if you are not sure. Please remember to check the information on the notification card with the information in your emergency plan to make sure it is consistent and up to date. If you would like additional cards or have any questions about the procedure please contact program staff.

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