Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Guidance
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Emergency Response for Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities

  • Hurricane Season is Here!

    Ensure you can get help from neighboring utilities when an emergency strikes by joining your state's Water and Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) now!

    Learn about WARN
  • Technical Assistance

    EPA’s Strengthening Water Infrastructure for Tomorrow (SWIFT) initiative helps drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities improve resilience to natural hazards.

    Request SWIFT technical assistance
  • Emergency Response Plans

    Develop or update an Emergency Response Plan for your water or wastewater utility.

    Learn about ERPs
  • Incident Action Checklists

    EPA's Incident Action Checklists can help your utility prepare for, response to, and recover from 14 different emergency scenarios.

    Explore Incident Action Checklists

EPA has a variety of tools and guidance to support drinking water and wastewater utility preparedness and response. Our resources can help you become a more resilient utility.

Planning

Planning
  • Develop emergency response plans
  • Plan for emergency drinking water
  • Access Incident Action Checklists
  • Supply Chain - Chemical Shortages
  • Develop Telecommunications Plans
  • Prepare for Position Navigation and Timing Risks

Hazard Resilience

Hazard Resilience
  • Build earthquake resilience
  • Build flood resilience
  • Build pandemic resilience 
  • Build power resilience
  • Build wildfire resilience
  • Respond to drought
  • Hazard Mitigation Guide

Technical Assistance

Two people using a checklist
  • Learn about Natural Hazard Technical Assistance
  • Request Free Assistance for your Utility
  • Learn from other Utilities
  • Explore Hazard Maps
  • Discover Resilient Strategies
  • Find Funding for Resilience Projects

Mutual Aid

Mutual Aid
  • Learn about Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs)
  • Join a WARN
  • Access WARN exercise tools

Decontamination

Decontamination
  • Learn about decontamination
  • Documents to guide remediation
  • Sampling methods and decontamination technologies
  • Explore the Response Protocol Toolbox

Risk Communication

Risk Communication
  • Develop messages for water emergencies

Related Information

  • Water Resilience
  • Water Utility Response On-The-Go Overview Video
  • Community Water Resilience
Join Our Email List

Featured Tools

  • Resilient Strategies Guide
  • Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool
  • Drought Response and Recovery Guide
  • Response On-the-Go
  • Tabletop Exercise (TTX) Tool

Educational Resources

  • Don't Get Soaked Video
  • National Incident Management System/Incident Command System for the Water Sector
Contact Us About Emergency Response for Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on July 9, 2026
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.