What happens when a water system (for drinking water, wastewater, or stormwater) is contaminated with a chemical, biological, or radiological agent? How can you construct an effective emergency response plan for containment and disposal? This present course developed by Dr. Rossow provides a well-thought-out overview of the storage, treatment, and disposal issues that arise after containment of contaminated water. While this online engineering course doesn't contain recommendations on initial response activities immediately following a confirmed contamination incident, it outlines the critical steps to overcome common challenges that occur after a decision has been made to contain contaminated water. Based on the Environmental Protection Agency document, “Containment and Disposal of Large Amounts of Contaminated Water: A Support Guide for Water Utilities,” Office of Water (4608T) EPA 817-B-012-002, September, 2012, this course also discusses the statutory and regulatory requirements that may apply to planning and decision-making.

Learning Objectives

At the successful conclusion of this course, you’ll be able to identify and discuss:

• Actions prior to containment
• Containment of water in situ or in temporary storage
• Direct discharge of water to surface water
• Disposal through a wastewater treatment plant
• Transfer to a hazardous waste facility
• Underground injection of water
• Volume reduction and solidification with radiological contaminants
• Storage and transportation of water