The massive water contamination event resulting from Hurricane Katrina highlighted the critical need for every community to incorporate disaster preparedness for water supply disruption and contamination in their natural disaster response and terrorism preparedness emergency plans.
Dr. Meinhardt, author of Recognizing Waterborne Disease and the Health Effects of Water Contamination will review the numerous challenges created when water systems are damaged by natural diasters, man-made accidents, or terrorist activity. A series of disaster preparedness strategies specific to water contamination and which are essential elements for ALL local and state emergency response planning in order to protect the public's health will be discusssed.
At the conclusion of the presentation, the participants will be able to:
- Understand the medical, public health, and economic consequences of water contamination for a community resulting from natural, man-made or intentional disasters.
- List the unique preparedness challenges for water contamination events that require specific pre-incident planning and post-event response strategies.
- Describe fifteen key disaster response strategies for water contamination that should be included in every local and state disaster response plan.
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