EPA's partnership with WaterStep continues to provide treated drinking water in the aftermath of multiple disasters of all types. Public-private partnerships like this one bring EPA researchers and experts in academia and industry together to help communities solve real environmental challenges.

Below are real-world applications and deployments of the Water-on-Wheels Mobile Emergency Water Treatment System (WOW Cart). Also check out examples of collaborations and demonstrations.

Read more about the development and capabilities of the WOW Cart as well as how to obtain one from WaterStep.

On this page:

• September 2020 - Hurricane Laura Response (Louisiana)
• December 2021 - Tornado Response (Kentucky)
• June 2022 - Source Water Supply Loss (Kentucky)
• August 2022 - Flood Response (Kentucky)
• International Deployments
• Proposed Pre-Staging for Future Deployments

Natural Disaster Responses

​​​September 2020 - Hurricane Laura Response (Louisiana)

Within two days of Hurricane Laura landfall in September 2020, WaterStep, along with two other non-profit organizations, were on-site at one of the first responder base camps on the property of a large church in Lake Charles, LA. 

During the boil water advisory, water to be treated was supplied by a hose connected to the church and stored in the portable bladder tank prior to treatment. Treated water was pumped into an adjacent tanker truck for distribution and use. For 18 days during the boil water order, the WOW Cart treated over 100,000 gallons of water that was used for:

• 800 first responders on–site
• Food preparation and clean-up
• 16,000 meals prepared per day for first responders and the community
• Laundry
• Portable Showers
• 50 gallons of bleach solution prepared for general cleaning

During the 18 days of deployment, WOW Cart training was handed off to six different response teams without any operational difficulties. A simple cost analysis highlights the cost-effectiveness of the WOW Cart as compared to only depending on bottled water:

• 2020 estimated retail cost of the WOW Cart = $ 40,000
• 100,000 gallons of treated water = 800,000 bottles that would require 416 pallets
  • Costing $182,600 in 2020, not including transporting pallets
  • Delivering 416 pallets would require 20 C-130 flights or 16 semi-trailers

December 2021 - Tornado Response (Kentucky)

In December 2021, a deadly tornado devastated communities in Western Kentucky, knocking out power for days and placing thousands of customers served by the water utility under a boil water advisory. Two WOW Carts were deployed to the Mayfield, KY area in conjunction with Kentucky's Department of Public Health.

One cart was set up at the Graves County Health Department to provide first responders, including firefighters, police, and emergency medical service workers, with showers and safe drinking water. A tanker truck filled with the potentially compromised Mayfield city water served as the source of supply for the WOW Carts. Over 10 days during the boil water order, each WOW Cart had the capacity to treat 10,000 gallons of water daily for mobile showers and distribution to the community in 5-gallon cans. The WOW Carts also facilitated the preparation of bleach solution for use on-site for general disinfection purposes. WaterStep staff and local responders that WaterStep trained on-site, operated the WOW Carts.

The second WOW Cart supplied clean water to a food relief organization that prepared free meals from a mobile kitchen to those affected in the Mayfield, KY area.

A third site utilized three mini versions of the WOW Cart to treat and store well water for emergency responders at a 4H Camp in Dawson Springs, KY.

June 2022 - Source Water Supply Loss (Kentucky)

In June 2022, the city of Marion, KY lost access to its source water after a levee break, which reduced the reservoir of clean drinking water. The Kentucky National Guard trucked in 80,000 gallons of raw water daily to supply the water treatment plant. Two WOW Carts were deployed as backup water supplies for critical care facilities and the county jail to provide water for drinking and food preparation. The Kentucky Department of Water and the Kentucky Department of Public Health oversaw water quality testing and analyses.

August 2022 - Flood Response (Kentucky) 

Deadly flooding occurred in Eastern Kentucky in August 2022. Many in the region lost access to the public water supply. Working with state agencies, WaterStep and its partners were able to set up four WOW Carts in the communities of Hazard, Buckhorn, and Mayking. The WOW Carts treated up to 10,000 gallons of water a day for food preparation and showers for emergency responders. Community members also received containers that could take home two to five gallons of water for personal use. WOW Carts were provided to:

• Perry County, Home Place Community Center
• Perry County, Buckhorn Children’s Home 
• Letcher County, Mayking Fire Department
• Breathitt County, River Caney Staging Area 

Treated water was provided for 10 weeks. Kentucky's Department of Water and their Department of Public Health oversaw water quality testing and analyses.

International Deployments

Ukraine

In 2022, a non-profit foundation delivered five WOW Carts to the Emergency Management warehouse in Kyiv, Ukraine. The WOW Carts were first delivered to Poland and then trucked directly into red zone areas on backroads into Ukraine. Prior to their delivery, the WOW Carts had to be re-wired to operate under European standards. The User Manual was also translated. WOW Cart staff held a video meeting in the Fall of 2022 to provide training to foundation staff that could be passed along to operators in Ukraine.

Turkey

Eighty BleachMakers were delivered to the Turkey pediatric hospital association following the massive and numerous earthquakes that occurred in early February 2023. The BleachMakers are a component of the WOW Cart that produces a chlorine bleach solution equivalent to store-bought bleach. 

Proposed Pre-Staging for Future Deployments

Lily Pad Network Concept

Within a drinking water distribution system, a WOW Cart could be deployed in an affected portion of the system or at strategically designated locations such as fire departments, police stations, community centers, hospitals, nursing homes, or jails across a community or state. Multiple locations across an area could be likened to that of lily pads spread across the surface of a pond.

EPA and WaterStep have proposed a Lily Pad Network concept so that:

• Emergency workers and equipment can respond independently or gather together to meet a larger need.
• Public health departments, fire stations, churches, rural water associations, corporations, and others invest in leadership and develop strategies for local organizations to support the network.
• Funding, regular training, and increasing the number of certified operators can expand capacity and create a foundation for resiliency.

A generic proposal for pre-approved emergency use by a state might include the following applicable components:

• Agreement by applicant that use is limited to state stipulations.
  • Declaration of emergency by state/local official
  • Up to 30-day use, with state approval for time extensions
  • Designated locations for decentralized use
• Specification of allowed source water (e.g., treated water from public water supply that is under a boil water advisory).
• Agreement to inspection by state field personnel.
• Agreement that WOW Carts are operated by state licensed operator.
• Details about locations and logistics are managed by a third party, such as a mutual aid Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) agreement.

To support disaster response efforts, two Disaster Response Command Center trailers are being customized for regional deployment by WaterStep. These Mobile Command Center trailers will carry all field supplies needed to support regional Lily Pad Network Disaster Response teams. These trailers will be deployed by WaterStep teams to support communities in crisis while also serving as an additional distribution point to support comprehensive response efforts in disasters, including provision of safe water and sanitation for medical, shower, laundry, and food trailers.

Kentucky State Prison Pre-deployment

The first two WOW Carts were delivered April 2024 to the Southeast State Correctional Complex as part of the Kentucky State Penitentiary deployment to all 14 state prisons. Two Carts will be stationed at each facility. The WOW Carts are being deployed to insure the resilience and sustainability of each facility during a natural or man-made disaster. During a community emergency response and recovery, the prisons often must provide for their own infrastructure needs. Each prison will develop a Water/Disaster Team with individuals:

• trained on the set-up and operation of the WOW Cart,
• insuring storage tanks and distribution containers are easily accessible, and
• developing emergency response procedures and best practice approaches for health when safe water is not plentiful.

Throughout the year, trainings and demonstrations will be carried out at each location as WOW Carts are delivered.