Water Online

June 2013

Water Online the Magazine gives Water & Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.

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Research Study and an unusually intense perisalinity of inland water sources, "More than 80 drinking od of frosts in the spring of and utilities are recording salt water, stormwater, 2008. These weather-driven water at their intakes. Newport events require management of News raised its reservoir water and wastewater utility both flood risk and water suplevel one foot to keep fresh practitioners participated ply in balance with environwater upstream and brackish mental needs, and they show tidal water downstream, and in a workshop that focused the interdependent challenges the Norfolk Naval Base has on their weather-sensitive water resource professionals experienced storms which face. In the Tidewater area of information needs for making caused base and roadway Virginia — the eastern Virginia flooding, overtopped piers, diskey decisions on long-lived coastal plain where the James, rupted utilities, eroded shoreRappahannock, and York Rivers line, destabilized grounds, and and costly investments." join the Chesapeake Bay — are increased loads on structures. four cities (Hampton, Newport These communities, utilities, News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach), rural and small comand the Navy are working to identify ways they can adapt munities, military installations, including the world's largto and prepare for future extreme events. est naval station (the Norfolk Naval Base), and a large Some preliminary observations collected through these state-owned cargo port. In the last few years, this region various workshops are: has seen Hurricane Isabel, Hurricane Irene, and more • Water utilities and communities must embrace both recently, three days apart (August 25 and 28, 2012), two emergency response and long-term preparedness; "short-fuse" nor'easters — all with devastating effects on • The complex array of decision-makers affecting its coastlines and adjacent communities. Coastal erosion water resources within a watershed require comcontinues to affect infrastructure, sea level rise is causing munication (and innovation) beyond boundaries to manage surprises; • Multijurisdictional fragmentation creates community patterns and vulnerabilities that are difficult to address; • Water utility managers are competently taking action within their span of control — but confronting real, long-term vulnerability is likely to require broader community action; and • Managers need better access to local information to manage resources for impending extreme events. These case studies will help communities think about their own challenges, plan and respond to potential threats, and educate their citizens and decision-makers on the importance of adaptation planning, no matter where in the country they are located. More importantly, these communities will be able to identify gaps in information and potential needs that need to be addressed — before these extreme events happen. This article was prepared by a team of authors: Claudio H. Ternieden (Concurrent Technologies Corporation); Erica Brown (Noblis); Lauren Fillmore (WERF); Karen Metchis (EPA); Kenan Ozekin (WRF); and Nancy Beller-Simms (NOAA). 28 wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine

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