RESILIENT UTILITY COALITION OF SOUTH FLORIDA
RUC MISSION The Resilient Utility Coalition seeks to advance utility infrastructure resiliency efforts in South Florida and provide essential value to its members and partners. The Resilient Utility Coalition provides leadership in assessing and adapting utility operations to address the potential effects of climate change. The group seeks to enhance the usefulness of climate science by developing adaptation strategies and improving water management decision-making in the face of climate uncertainty.
CHALLENGES FACED BY UTILITIES Historical Focus: provide safe, reliable and available water resources Current demands: increasing number of environmental, economic and social components Need to quickly and effectively respond to disasters, chronic challenges, peak demand, aging infrastructure, lack of funding and other global trends Opportunity to integrate resilience into planning, operations and capital programming
PARTNERSHIP INTO ACTION Long-term effort to build resilient utilities Accomplished through institutional commitment and regional collaboration Operationalize policy recommendations of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact Initiated by Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, Florida Section of the American Water Works Association, Miami-Dade Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Miami Chapter of the Florida Engineering Society
RUC MEMBERS AND PARTNER S ROLE ACADEMIA UTILITIES WATER INDUSTRY Innovation, research & development Opportunity to collaboratively engage in labscale studies, pilots, pursue research grants Internships programs Regional scorecard Quarterly roundtable meetings Exchange of resources and materials Preparedness drills Share best practices and lessons learned Interlocal agreements Innovative & comprehensive solutions Holistic approach to incorporating resilience from planning to operations Tech Talks PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Best management practices; industry standards Training and education Advocacy and policy development Networking and engagement The Resilient Utility Coalition brings together water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities, industry, academia, and the greater community to address today s most pertinent issues.
VISIONING WORKSHOP Kickoff event on August, 2016, with over 200 attendees, which included 20 utilities from the region, 3 major universities and representatives from across the water industry Goals: Initiate a regional dialogue Exchange experiences, technical know-how and collective intellectual capital Facilitate the development of joint strategies Identify opportunities for collaboration
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Partnering with DOE on the Water-Energy Nexus By J. Alice G. Dasek, Policy Advisor U.S. Department of Energy EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities: Supporting Utilities Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change By J. Stephen Fries, Ph.D. Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
VISIONING WORKSHOP FRAMEWORK Resilience Planning Innovation in Utilities and Emerging Technologies Operational Reliability Asset Management Design Standards
RESILIENT UTILITY COMPONENTS Comprehensive Resilience Plan Adaptation and Mitigation Trained and Engaged Workforce Energy Efficiency Initiatives Design Standards for Resilience Effective Utility Management Practices Integrated Technologies Source: NIAC Water Sector Resilience Final Report and Recommendation: Draft/Pre-Decisional
RUC s LOOK AHEAD Benchmarking: develop regional guidelines and best practices manuals for utilities Information Sharing: implement a sharing platform for with databases, contacts, guidelines, and other information Data Management: data analytics and coordinated software platforms for utilities Foster Innovation: partnerships with university for research and development, technology committees, internships Emergency Preparedness: formulate tools for regional integration
RUC s LOOK AHEAD Funding Alternatives: engage decision makers and elected officials in resilience efforts Engagement: explore path to develop a Utilities Without Border concept to collaborate and mobilize water professionals Partnerships and Community Outreach: develop key partnerships with stakeholders and community involvement
RUC s KEY MILESTONES
TRAINING CURRICULUM (TBC) Planning and Capital Improvements Achieving Resiliency Goals through Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment and Flexible Adaptation Planning Smart Decision Support - A Holistic Approach to Resiliency Planning Understanding your Utility Vulnerabilities: Prioritization of Capital Improvement and R&R Investments Business Continuity Plan for the Water Sector through Partnership with the Water Research Foundation
TRAINING CURRICULUM (TBC) Operations Operationalize your Resilience: A New Way of Doing Business by Embracing Resilience through O&M, CIP, and Utility Policy Risk Analysis and Management for Critical Asset Protection J100 Standard for Risk and Resilience Management of Water and Wastewater Systems Infrastructure Risk Assessments Helping Enhance Utility Resilience Disaster Management Safeguarding Vital Wastewater Infrastructure: A Strategic Risk and Triple-Bottom Line Adaptation Framework Planning for Utilities Operational Resiliency through Implementation of Disaster Resiliency Scorecards Water Security and Preparedness - Lessons Learned on Utility Resiliency
TRAINING CURRICULUM (TBC) Innovation/Emerging Technologies Sea Level Rise Tools and Utility Exposure Examples Emerging Technologies for Operationalization of Resilience in Water/Wastewater Utilities Business Continuity Plan for the Water Sector through Partnership with the Water Research Foundation Utility Resilience Case Studies Rising Seas and Wastewater Infrastructure in the New York Metropolitan Area 100 Resilient Cities: Lessons Learned on Utility Resiliency The cases of San Francisco PUC, New York City DEP, and Miami Beach
THANKS www.resilientutilities.org