This guidance is intended for small community water systems (CWSs) serving greater than 3,300 but less than 50,000 people to comply with the requirements for risk and resilience assessments under America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA). For larger CWSs, EPA recommends the Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (VSAT) Web 2.0 or an alternate risk assessment method. CWSs serving 3,300 or fewer people are not required to conduct risk and resilience assessments under AWIA. EPA recommends, however, that very small CWSs use this or other guidance to learn how to conduct risk and resilience assessments and address threats from malevolent acts and natural hazards that threaten safe drinking water.

Why is EPA providing this document?

This guidance will help small CWSs meet the requirements for risk and resilience assessments in AWIA. This guidance does not address emergency response plans (ERPs), which are also required under AWIA for CWSs serving more than 3,300 people. EPA has developed an Emergency Response Plan Template and Instructions for CWSs to comply with AWIA. Further, this guidance does not cover all aspects of water system security and resilience, such as asset management, climate change, and emergency preparedness and response. Visit EPA’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Resilience page to find more information.

• AWIA Small System Risk and Resilience Assessment Checklist.pdf (PDF)(46 pp, 833 K, 5/12/2020)