two pipeline rehabilitation projects.
Operations. MWD maintains a
well-defined Emergency Response (ER)
organization, conducts regular emergen-cy
response exercises, and maintains the
capability to perform rapid repairs of
damaged facilities. ER preparations in-clude
a dedicated Emergency Operations
Center (EOC), 12 Incident Command
Centers (ICCs) throughout the service
area, and a Security Watch Center (SWC)
to address security-related issues. The
EOC is equipped with multiple modes
of communication (computers, phones,
two-way radios, and satellite phones) and
coordinates directly with the ICCs, the
SWC, and with local, state, and federal
emergency management agencies. MWD
also conducts regular emergency exer-cises
to ensure it is prepared to respond
effectively to actual events, including
seismic events.
To perform rapid repairs of
damaged facilities, MWD maintains
a large machine and fabrication shop
facility at its La Verne facility. The facility
maintains a supply of materials for
machining and fabrication, has its own
dedicated crews, and can fabricate pipe
up to 20 feet in diameter. In addition,
urgent repair contractors have been pre-qualified
and can be quickly mobilized
in an emergency. MWD estimates that up
to six large diameter pipeline breaks can
be repaired within one week of a major
seismic event (two breaks by MWD
construction crews and four breaks by
prequalified contractors).
Inter-Agency Collaboration. The
Seismic Resilience Water Supply Task
Force with LADWP and the Department
of Water Resources is a key component of
MWD’s overall Seismic Resilience Strategy.
Formal Reporting. MWD has added
a formal reporting component to its
Seismic Resilience Strategy to improve
communication of program goals and
maintain a consistent, long-term focus
on this critical issue. A report will be
presented to MWD’s Board in late
2017 detailing the Seismic Resilience
Strategy, summarizing key historical
achievements and identifying future
goals. The Board will be updated
annually on recent achievements and
near-term goals.
We’re Ready
MWD’s service area is seismically
active, and mitigating the risks to the
region’s imported water supply is
essential for assuring water delivery
and regional economic sustainability.
The Seismic Resiliency Strategy, in
coordination with the efforts of the other
agencies that import water to the region,
ensures adequate water deliveries for
public health and safety as well as critical
fire suppression activities following a
major seismic event. S
References
1 Working Group on California Earthquake
Probabilities. (2013). The Uniform
California Earthquake Rupture Forecast,
Version 3. USGS OFR 2013-1165, California
Geological Survey Special Report 203,
Southern California Earthquake Center
Publication #1792.
2 Bond, J. B. (1941). Siphons. In M. W.
California, The Great Aqueduct (p. 33).
3 Hinds, J. (1938, November 24). The
Colorado River Aqueduct: Major Problems
of Aqueduct Location. Engineering News
Record, 121(21), 653-658.
www.ca-nv-awwa.org 27
