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Some business owners in Ottawa want the City to compensate them after they had to close their doors due to a water main break.  Since the repairs were fixed within 48 hours the business’ insurance apparently will not cover it.

The City of Ottawa received 139 claims for damages last year after broken water mains, but only one was from a business owner and it was dismissed.

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This month’s issue of the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Report examines the protection of critical infrastructure before, during, and after natural disasters.

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Heavy rainfall in central and southwestern New Brunswick caused roughly $35 million in flooding damages last December. It was the most expensive natural disaster in the province in nearly 40 years.

There’s also recognition that New Brunswick, where roughly 60 per cent of citizens live on the coast or near other waterways, will become more susceptible to flooding as a result of global warming. And with flooding already the most common damage maker in this province, the government is realizing that more needs to be done to mitigate risk.

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As we approach the holiday season and the new year, we should take some time to think about what we can do to increase our resilience in the future.  One of the best ways is to give.  Give of your knowledge, give of your facilities, give of your time. 

I would challenge all to reach out to those you work with on a regular basis and those you don’t, to meet with them and touch base.  Perhaps you could create a presentation and couple it with a tour of your facilities for local responders or stakeholders.  I find I learn something new each time and familiarization is always important for first responders.  Maybe have a meeting you attend at your facility instead of off site.  Most importantly take some time to meet with those you will be interacting with during an event, as knowing these folks before hand is very beneficial to a smooth operation in response.

Calgary Water is participating in an international resilience benchmarking study with other utilities from Australia and New Zealand.  The study looks at many components of organizational resilience from employee satisfaction and engagement to emergency operations centres and plans.  The results should be ready for Q2 of 2012 and should prove interesting for all water utilities to look at.  Those interested in more information can contact Jared Serviss, Senior Business Continuity and Emergency Management Planner for Calgary Water at: Jared.Serviss@calgary.ca

The cost of the Manitoba flood of 2011 has soared to $815 million, about $100 million more than the province’s last estimate.

The last time the government updated the cost of this year’s flood, in mid-October, Premier Greg Selinger said the number could surpass $700 million — well over the prior estimate of $632 million.

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I have attached several links to articles on the recent cyber attack against a water utility in the United States, appearing to have come from Russia.  This highlights the need for increased vigilance in this area; as more attention is drawn to it, there could be more attacks and likely increased media attention.

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I just finished reading how a refinery fire in Regina, Saskatchewan on October 6 has caused a “tight but not critical” supply in Alberta.  I also personally noted the sharp rise in cost of diesel at the pumps.

This example is just one more of how events elsewhere can impact us, and the importance of both having adequate supply, or good contracts in place to help control price, of our critical supplies.

If this event happened in conjunction with others, even if they were not big on their own, you can see how troubles would multiply quickly.  When we plan we would benefit from looking 2 to 4 levels of failure into our plans, and not stopping with the first event.

-Jared Serviss

A water main break caused some serious concern for some Dartmouth residents Thursday morning as their power was lost and in some cases homes were flooded.

There were 16 homes on Dahlia Street that saw most of the water flow from the broken pipe down into their driveways and into their yards.

From there it spilled into their basements.

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WINNIPEG - A $100-million emergency channel to drain flood water from two swollen Manitoba lakes is now open.

The 6 1/2-kilometre-long channel is intended to bring down the levels on Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin throughout the winter. The excess water will be diverted into Lake Winnipeg.

The province will look at building a second waterway, at a cost of $60 million, to further ease pressure on the lake during the spring melt.

Premier Greg Selinger says the channels will ease pressure on flooded lakeside homes and minimize the risk of more devastating flooding next spring.

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