Natural Hazard Technical Assistance for Updating your Emergency Response Plan

United States

Join EPA’s Strengthening Water Infrastructure for Tomorrow (SWIFT) initiative for a free webinar on updating your emergency response plan (ERP) for natural hazards. The webinar will highlight how to use available data resources, online tools, templates, and free technical assistance to address natural hazard threats in ERPs.  

Section 1433 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), revised by America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) section 2013, requires community water systems (CWS) serving over 3,300 people to prepare (or revise) and certify ERPs to the EPA every five years. Recertification deadlines have been occurring throughout 2025 and 2026. The final ERP recertification deadline, for systems serving 3,301 to 49,999 people, is December 31, 2026.

CWSs that serve less than 3,301 people, non-CWSs, wastewater utilities, and stormwater utilities are not required to certify completion of an ERP to EPA. However, because natural disasters and malevolent acts also affect these utilities, EPA encourages them to develop ERPs to plan for potential disruptions.

For questions or additional information about the webinar, please email ramming.audrey@epa.gov.

Please note that continuing education units (CEUs) are not available for this webinar; however, supporting documentation can be provided to attendees who choose to approach their respective state agencies.