Water Resources

With the impacts of global warming, increased populations, and growing water demands, long-term planning has greater uncertainty and is taking on greater significance than ever before. Understanding the reliability of supplies, the adequacy of delivery systems, and the impacts of future regulations provide the foundation for developing and implementing long-term capital improvement and operations plans.

Water Distribution System Modeling

Sierra West approaches water distribution evaluations using schematic drawings with water storage, pumping, major piping layouts, and system topographic information to understand how the system operates. Models are then developed, validated, and verified to fully understand the system performance.

Infrastructure Planning & Design

The models are used to identify areas of deficiencies, and proposed improvements can be modeled to verify that they will achieve the desired results. The necessary improvements can be evaluated and budgeted for use in facility planning. Often these improvements are constructed in phases, and hydraulic modeling is a useful tool to understand system performance at various stages of a phased program or development.

Emergency Preparedness

To assist water-related agencies with State and Federal Regulations, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) prepared the Emergency Preparedness Practices (AWWA G440) management standard. Developed on the heels of the Oakland fires in California and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the State of California Standard Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the Federal National Incident Management System (NIMS) require planning, training, and ongoing commitments to emergency preparedness.

Sierra West is able to assist water and wastewater agencies with developing emergency systems, planning documents, and on-site training. We also have the expertise to obtain grant funding that will cover a majority of the costs. Whether it is a forest fire, earthquake, flood, or simply a loss of a major system component, the emergency can shut down a water supply or treatment system when these services are most critical. Restoring operations in an emergency often requires weeks’ worth of work in a few hours. Beyond the physical response, this also includes the financial responses from contracting and payments, to cost recovery.

Emergency Preparedness goes beyond the Emergency Response Plan to include risk evaluations, Operations Plan, Resource Typing Plan, Crisis Communications Plan, Emergency Water Supply Plan, Mutual Aid and Assistance Plan, Business/Operations Continuity Plan, and Disaster Recovery Plan. Sierra West has the expertise to lead an agency’s planning and training efforts, and are available to provide support during the emergency.