Survey of the status of emergency preparedness planning in wastewater disposal – methodology and status quo in Rhineland-Palatinate

Abstract

n addition to preventive measures for risk minimization, emergency preparedness planning in wastewater disposal includes aspects of emergency/crisis management in particular. This article presents a methodology to assess the status of emergency preparedness planning prior to
the occurrence of damaging events. The developed emergency preparedness planning indicator was surveyed as part of the benchmarking
initiative of the water sector in Rhineland-Palatinate. The results show that the implementation status of emergency preparedness planning in
wastewater disposal companies can be determined by taking a detailed look at the process steps of risk and crisis management. In the area of
pre-planning and preventive measures, some wastewater disposal companies are already well positioned. However, there is a need for action
especially in the areas of risk analysis and crisis management. In addition, the regular evaluation of process steps could be improved. The study
shows that more attention should be paid to increasing the resilience of wastewater disposal systems, and opportunities for financing such
measures should be improved.