030-0917/02 – Protection of Water Supply and Sewerage Infrastructure (OVHI)

In the area of crisis management, the protection of water management infrastructure is one of the most important activities of each state. On the methods and possibilities of its protection, other possibilities of operation of public infrastructure, including activities of rescue and emergency services in the case of extraordinary situations depend. The most vulnerable places with the lowest possible real protection are sources of drinking water and line structures of distribution system. The study of protection of water management infrastructure covers risk identification and analysis for individual operating systems and structures, reduction in the influence of water losses on activities of national emergency services and dealing with fire protection of territorial units in the case of water shortage in sources and distribution systems, mathematical modelling of critical points and water mains designed for water emergency supply. Based on the study of these findings and needs, it is possible to formulate and revise in practice crisis plans for regions and territorial administrative units, to prepare highly efficient plans of crisis preparedness of legal subjects, and thus to increase substantially the level of crisis planning as a whole to reduce negative influences of extraordinary events.

Water supply systems and aquatic ecosystems belong unambiguously to the most vulnerable fields of national engineering infrastructure. It follows from risk analyses that they may be threatened considerably by action of natural influences and many anthropogenic events. Any threat or damage to the water management infrastructure always results in a decrease in housing standard, development of emergency regimes in health services, food production, accommodation services of towns and municipalities and simultaneously an impairment of fire security of built-up areas. The subject evaluates, using the methods of risk analysis, the basic types of risks endangering aquatic ecosystems used for water supply systems, specifies emerging natural risks and anthropogenic hazards acting on water sources and production-technical facilities of public water supply systems. Based on the results of analyses, their comparison with development in the world and the use of new scientific knowledge of the given field, it makes the student familiar with the possibilities of real risk minimization.

Chipley, Michael et al, Risk Management Series Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), US Department of Homeland Security, Eigenverlag, Dezember 2003.