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Member Update (MU06-09)

Member Pipeline - Member Services & Information - Update (MU06-09)

To: Members & Affiliates;
Security and Emergency Preparedness Committee
From: National Office
Date: April 11, 2006
Subject: NEW SECURITY RESOURCE — CHLORINE GAS DECISION TOOL
Reference: MU 06-09

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The Chlorine Gas Decision Tool (Tool), a CD-based application that NACWA developed for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Advanced Research Projects Agency, is now available. The Tool is designed to provide both water and wastewater utilities with a user-friendly, but thorough means of evaluating alternatives to chlorine gas disinfection.

While DHS understands that there may be no way to completely eliminate the use of chlorine gas in the water and wastewater industry, the Department is interested in encouraging utilities currently using gaseous chlorine for disinfection to consider alternatives. DHS approached NACWA to assist in the development of a simple tool that might encourage more utilities to evaluate alternatives. The final Tool allows water and wastewater utilities to conduct a screening-level assessment of the commonly available disinfection alternatives and help them determine whether to proceed with a more comprehensive engineering analysis specific to their plants.

NACWA thanks the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) for their insights and extends special thanks to the following individuals who provided valuable expertise and input throughout the development process: Robert C. Steidel, City of Richmond, VA; David Pickard, City of Tampa, FL; William Moore, Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, St. Paul, MN; Salome Freud, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, NY; Madeline Goddard, City of Phoenix, AZ; Grace Chan and David Snyder, Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, Whittier, CA; Patrick Kwok, City of San Jose, CA; Ronald Garner, City of San Jose, CA.

The Tool is only available to water and wastewater utilities. NACWA affiliates interested in obtaining a copy of the Tool should have their interested utility clients contact the Association directly. Utility managers may request a CD on NACWA’s website (http://www.nacwa.org/clcd.cfm). For additional information on the Tool, please contact Chris Hornback, NACWA’s Regulatory Affairs Director at 202/833-9106 or chornback@nacwa.org.

Tool Offers Utilities Quick and Simple Feedback on Feasible Alternatives
The Chlorine Gas Decision Tool is designed to provide water and wastewater utilities with a straightforward, do-it-yourself process to evaluating alternative disinfection options. The Tool, which is basically a series of Excel spreadsheets and formulas, allows users to identify the characteristics of a disinfection option that are most important to their agencies (e.g., process reliability, safety to the public) and then rate the different disinfection alternatives for each of these characteristics. With some basic chemical use information and cost figures, the tool provides a cost-benefit analysis for the alternatives based on the agency-specific information provided, allowing the user to see what alternative(s) are most feasible.

The Tool is not designed to enable utilities to make the final decision of whether to invest in an alternative disinfection approach, but will provide them with enough information to decide whether a more formal engineering analysis is warranted. The Tool includes a Report Template which, with the addition of some utility-specific information, provides the user with a ready-made report to detail the results of the analysis.

DHS Encourages Utilities to Submit Reports
DHS is requesting that utilities who use the Tool submit the final report detailing the results of the alternative evaluation to the Department so that they may gain a better understanding of the security needs in the sector. While NACWA is not aware of any funding that might be available at this point to assist utilities that wish to pursue an alternative to chlorine gas disinfection, submittal of the final reports to DHS will enable the Department to better assess future funding needs and opportunities. The security and confidentiality of all submissions will be governed by DHS’ appropriate handling protocols.

Again, utility managers may request a CD on NACWA’s website (http://www.nacwa.org/clcd.cfm). For additional information on the Tool, please contact Chris Hornback, NACWA’s Regulatory Affairs Director at 202/833-9106 or chornback@nacwa.org.