This document provides uniform response, recovery and remediation guidance for water utility actions in response to man-made and/or technological emergencies. The guidance was developed as an initiative of EPA's Water Protection Task Force and has been reviewed with water utilities and associations, EPA Regions, EPA Office of Water and other federal agencies. The intent of this guidance is to provide the minimum actions that EPA recommends be carried out by a water utility for the events described. Emergency response planning is primarily a local responsibility. Good business practices suggest that every water utility have an Emergency Operations/Response Plan that is coordinated with state and local emergency response organizations, regulatory authorities and local government officials. Water utilities ought to consider whether the actions contained within this guidance have been thoroughly coordinated with these entities.

"EPA-810-R-02-001." "April 2002." Cover title "Prepared by Michael Baker Jr., Inc. for the EPA's Water Protection Task Force under contract EMW-2000-CO-0002."

Introduction -- Background -- Incident types -- Development of the guidance -- Structure -- Response planning -- Notification considerations -- Sampling -- Annexes.