Report on Extreme Heat Impacts to Utility Staff and Infrastructure

The Association of Metropolitan Agencies (AMWA), which operates WaterISAC, and the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) have just published a new report, It’s Hot and Getting Hotter: Implications of Extreme Heat on Water Utility Staff and Infrastructure and Ideas for Adapting, which describes the implications of heat impacts on utility personnel and assets over the next 50 years. The report highlights how extreme heat can be expected to impact a utility’s outdoor workers as well as utility infrastructure, such as HVAC systems, water treatment plants, pumps, and motors, among others. It notes expected cost increases to adapt personnel to these conditions, including increased training for working in extreme heat conditions and providing protective equipment. As an example, adaptation options recommended for facilities and equipment include conducting cooling system analysis and increased motor maintenance. The report gleans highlights from five utility case studies from the Portland Water Bureau, Denver Water, Southern Nevada Water Authority, Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, and Oklahoma City Utilities.  Each case study utility received its own analysis report and the report referenced here. The case study utilities are now considering how to implement some of the strategies indicated in the report.