The East Orange County Water District (EOCWD) is embarking on a planning process to prepare for the impacts of natural hazards.
“This plan represents an opportunity for us to work with our neighbors and prepare a detailed, multi-disaster plan, and to identify what steps we can take in advance to mitigate impacts from those disasters,” said Lisa Ohlund, EOCWD’s general manager.
In response to federal mandates in the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), EOCWD applied for and was awarded a planning grant funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The planning process is expected to take six months to complete. During this process, residents and officials from neighboring agencies will be asked to contribute by sharing local knowledge of the area’s vulnerability to hazards and by suggesting ways the district can mitigate disasters.
EOCWD will seek public input by hosting meetings and sharing ways to participate via web, social media and other communications with customers and stakeholders.
An informational website on the plan is available at www.eocwd.com/hazardmitigationplan.
EOCWD will also form a steering committee made up of local stakeholders, which will oversee the plan’s development and outreach. The committee will meet on a monthly basis and meetings will be open to the public.
“We’re hopeful that through this hazard mitigation planning process, our residents will not only suggest ways that EOCWD can harden against disasters, but also think about ways our residents and their families can be better prepared,” Ohlund said.
EOCWD encompasses a service area of approximately 10,000 acres. EOCWD provides wholesale service to local jurisdictions as well as retail water and sewer service.