As hurricanes still form in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, all eyes are on the weather updates. Typically, members of the public are well-informed about how to prepare to have their homes invaded by rain, winds and floods; however, hurricane preparedness is even more vital for one industry in particular: water and wastewater utility.
“Everyone knows to stock up on water in the event of an approaching storm,” said Simon Sequeira, the owner and president of Quadvest Water Company, a family-owned water provider with primary operations in Montgomery County. “It’s our job to ensure they have potable water available as much as possible, and to be ready to bring it back on line should the storm knock out its flow to homes.”
Quadvest diligently follows the Emergency Response for Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities guidelines set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “We have the multipoint checklist provided by the EPA that ensures we are ready to tackle any problems before they even begin,” said Sequeira.
Hurricanes and tropical storms have the potential to cause a great deal of damage to drinking water and wastewater utilities due to heavy rainfall and inland flooding, coastal storm surges and high winds. Quadvest is keenly aware that impacts of a hurricane can include pipe breaks due to washouts and uprooted trees, loss of power and communication infrastructure due to high winds, combines sewer overflows (CSOs) due to flooding, restricted access to facilities and collection/distribution outlets due to debris and flood waters, and loss of water quality testing capability during the storm due to restricted facility and laboratory access and damage to utility equipment.
“We are ready to prepare for hurricanes before they form and respond to pre-landfall and aftermath hurricane activities,” said Sequeira. “Our crews are trained to handle multiple storm-related scenarios, and our capabilities are also augmented by our affiliation with the Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN).
Sequeira encourages Montgomery County area residents to contact Quadvest with any questions about how they themselves can prepare for stormy weather by calling 281-356-5347 or visiting www.quadvest.com.