Crisis Management - Emergency Water Supply

I am currently working on creating a crisis management document for our production/distribution facility.

What are some examples of an emergency water supply that others have used? If the water we use (solely for cleaning, we don't use water in the manufacturing of our product) would become contaminated, or if our city started a boil notice, what is the best way to get water for cleaning? 

I have heard you can get outside companies to bring water (trucks/tanks) that you can boil and use...or is it as simple as just buying gallon jugs and boiling for cleaning?

Any help would be appreciated!

You can bring in outside water trucks. That water wouldn't need to be boiled. Just make sure it is potable. 

You can bring in outside water trucks. That water wouldn't need to be boiled. Just make sure it is potable. 

Buying it at those rates will probably also make you rethink your approach to sustainability and efficiency.  That has to be better than retail quantities though.

You'll probably also want to take some samples for analysis, even if its being sourced from something reliable like municipality.

Buying it at those rates will probably also make you rethink your approach to sustainability and efficiency.  That has to be better than retail quantities though.

 

You'll probably also want to take some samples for analysis, even if its being sourced from something reliable like municipality.

Depends on the situation. The company supplying the water should be able to provide proof that the water is potable. 

Crisis Management situations are rarely about sustainability and efficiency. It's about food and employee safety. 

When for example a water main breaks - most companies shut down for a day. Restaurants use disposable items. However not everyone can do that. So water trucks become the next best solution. 

...

Crisis Management situations are rarely about sustainability and efficiency....

No, they aren't. 

The middle of an event like that isn't a great time to redesign your cleaning procedures to reduce usage either. 

If you lose water completely, don't forget you're losing toilets too.  In the last Crisis Management plan I wrote, for water loss due to a broken main or failure of our municipal water system, I had contact info from 2 different portapotty companies.  We created accounts with them to speed the process if we ever needed to use their services, and I had quotes on file for portable handwash stations, potable water totes, and portapotties to be delivered to our site.  Program called for the potable water to be sampled and sent to the local lab as a verification it would be suitable for our equipment washing needs (we too did not use water in our process).

In cases if we received a boil water order, same companies would be scheduled to deliver the water totes only.  Again, we can use them for sanitation under the assumption it is delivered as potable for our sanitation use, but we would sample each tote and verify through the lab.

A good crisis program should include shutdown of the operations in the time it takes for these items to be delivered, if it applies to you.  Employees washing hands with potentially contaminated water while waiting for a truck of potable to show up is a pretty unacceptable risk, IMO.

If you lose water completely, don't forget you're losing toilets too.  In the last Crisis Management plan I wrote, for water loss due to a broken main or failure of our municipal water system, I had contact info from 2 different portapotty companies.  We created accounts with them to speed the process if we ever needed to use their services, and I had quotes on file for portable handwash stations, potable water totes, and portapotties to be delivered to our site.  Program called for the potable water to be sampled and sent to the local lab as a verification it would be suitable for our equipment washing needs (we too did not use water in our process).

 

In cases if we received a boil water order, same companies would be scheduled to deliver the water totes only.  Again, we can use them for sanitation under the assumption it is delivered as potable for our sanitation use, but we would sample each tote and verify through the lab.

 

A good crisis program should include shutdown of the operations in the time it takes for these items to be delivered, if it applies to you.  Employees washing hands with potentially contaminated water while waiting for a truck of potable to show up is a pretty unacceptable risk, IMO.

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't even think about bathrooms....

The portable water totes you sourced came with potable water correct? I'm having issues finding companies in my area that deliver containers of actual water, and not just the container itself.

Good idea getting quotes/accounts started ahead of time!

I've always kept things simple in our Crisis Management Plan and have had no issues with SQF audits.  For example for Potable Water contamination (we use water for just washing hands and cleaning)  our action steps in our plan are: have water tested at plant by outside company to determine further risk as filtration in place may reduce concern on the issue, work to establish good water source for cleaning of hands and equipment and be in contact with water company for updates.

I feel as long as you outline a general plan that shows you have taken into consideration possible actions to take, you should be good as you cannot possibly plan for every little thing in a situation and to do so for your plan, and it will make it be very long indeed.  Always have a step in the plan on how and who will assess risks during a crisis response.

I've always kept things simple in our Crisis Management Plan and have had no issues with SQF audits.  For example for Potable Water contamination (we use water for just washing hands and cleaning)  our action steps in our plan are: have water tested at plant by outside company to determine further risk as filtration in place may reduce concern on the issue, work to establish good water source for cleaning of hands and equipment and be in contact with water company for updates.

 

I feel as long as you outline a general plan that shows you have taken into consideration possible actions to take, you should be good as you cannot possibly plan for every little thing in a situation and to do so for your plan, and it will make it be very long indeed.  Always have a step in the plan on how and who will assess risks during a crisis response.

That's similar to what we do.   If there's a water issue, in all honesty, we're shutting down until it's dealt with.   Even if I bring water in from another source, it needs to be hooked up to my main to make everything work.   It's got to go through water heaters to clean my equipment properly.   I don't even know how that would work.   You're going to have to have some pump coming off the totes, which are going to last hardly any time at all before you need to switch to another tote...   easier to just shut down for a week or two and catch up when the water's fixed, send a sample out for testing, etc etc.

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't even think about bathrooms....

 

The portable water totes you sourced came with potable water correct? I'm having issues finding companies in my area that deliver containers of actual water, and not just the container itself.

 

Good idea getting quotes/accounts started ahead of time!

At the time, yes, local company would have been able to deliver totes prefilled with potable water that they said was suitable for cooking/cleaning.  I don't see the pallet totes on their website anymore, but I'd be able to work with these solutions if needed:  Sani-Hut Company, Inc. - Potable Water Systems (sanihut.com) (providing link as an example company for op, hope that's okay mods?)

Think about who provides portable bathrooms for major events in your area.  They should be used to delivering handwash stations and toilets ready to go.  The idea that a company only sends you a sink and expects you to fill it would be nuts to me lol.  If you can, go beyond a receptionist and ask to speak to their sales reps or account coordinators to explain what potential situation you might need to deal with, and see what solutions they are willing to offer.