Under a contract with Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, which serves Cobb and Paulding counties and parts of Cherokee, Fulton and Douglas counties, AMEC's Earth & Environmental operations will evaluate the likelihood of potential risks to the water system and recommend security upgrades or policy changes to address those risks by March 31, 2003. The contract then calls on AMEC to develop an Emergency Response Plan for the system by Sept. 30, 2003. The contract is funded through a $115,000 grant from the federal EPA.
Key features of an Emergency Response Plan may range from the development of a flowchart of responsibilities during emergencies to the identification of alternate sources of water for drinking, sanitation and fire fighting.
"The Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority is taking proactive steps to safeguard their residents, putting them well ahead of most other counties in Georgia and the nation in terms of homeland security preparations," said AMEC Vice President Bill Edwards, who is directing AMEC's work. Edwards also noted that two CCMWA officials -- Assistant General Manager Glenn Page and Director of Security and Safety Jim Harrison - were instrumental in laying the groundwork for the project.
Edwards is an engineer certified in the Sandia National Laboratories Risk Assessment Methodology for Water Systems (RAM-W). He has more than 30 years of experience and has overseen security enhancement/force protection, water engineering and construction projects at more than 100 sites for private and public clients. AMEC will be assisted in both projects by CPTI Security Engineering, a leader in counter-terrorism investigations and emergency response training.
All aspects of the water system will be assessed, including raw water sources, pumping, treatment, finished water transmission and pumping and storage. The Authority is a water wholesaler serving a population of 730,000, making it the second largest water provider in Georgia.
Source: AMEC
