When it comes to water resilience, compliance is only the beginning. As Carollo’s Resilience and Sustainability Practice Director, Shawn Corrigan, explained in a recent interview with Water Online, regulatory requirements are essential catalysts, but true operational readiness comes from making emergency planning a living, adaptable process.
From Compliance to Operational Readiness in the Water Industry
Utilities are accustomed to meeting regulatory benchmarks, whether tied to the American Water Infrastructure Act or chemical risk management rules. But Shawn stressed that regulations should be seen as a foundation, not an endpoint. “Compliance with regulations is a starting point,” he explained. “It’s somewhere that we can have a consistent, standardized approach to emergency management that’s understandable and something we can measure over time.”
The challenge is moving from academic, paper-based plans to ones that can be implemented in real-world conditions. “If you have a group of people who contribute to the planning process instead of an individual planner, and you start to engage with different levels of the organization, then you get something much more bespoke while still being compliant,” Shawn said.
The Value of Scenario-Based Exercises
According to Shawn, one of the best ways to strengthen plans is through scenario-based training. From tabletop exercises to full-scale drills, these sessions allow staff to “poke holes” in emergency plans, test decision-making, and evaluate communications. The goal is to normalize the use of plans so that during a real crisis, staff act with confidence.
“Did we get things done on time? Did we get things done properly? Did we communicate with the right people?” Shawn asked. “Practicing those skills helps utilities evaluate and refine their response before an actual event.”
Identifying Vulnerabilities Through Practice
Exercises often reveal hidden weaknesses, such as unclear roles or outdated contact lists. Shawn emphasized the importance of defining both internal responsibilities across departments and external roles, from regulators to first responders. “The worst possible time to meet your response partners is during your response,” he said. Building these relationships ahead of time strengthens both trust and familiarity.
Communication is another recurring vulnerability. While plans may look perfect on paper, emergencies rarely unfold as written. Practicing internal messaging, public communication, and supplier coordination helps utilities adapt quickly under pressure.
Keeping Emergency Plans Alive
Perhaps Shawn’s most important message was that emergency plans cannot be static. “Emergency plans don’t need to be static, vulnerability assessments aren’t designed to be static, your utilities are going to be changing over time and you need to keep up with that,” he explained. Plans should be reviewed regularly, updated after every exercise or event, and treated as living documents.
For Shawn, the ultimate indicator of success is simple: “People are acting confidently with the emergency management plan. They know where it is, they trust the plan, they know who their partners are, and they can get things done in a crisis effectively and safely.”
A Practical Approach to Water Utility Resilience
By shifting from compliance-driven documents to living, regularly practiced plans, utilities can better protect their systems, their staff, and their communities. As Shawn’s conversation with Water Online makes clear, resilience isn’t about avoiding emergencies; it’s about responding to them with confidence and coordination.
Watch the full Water Online interview with Shawn Corrigan below to hear more about building resilient utilities through emergency planning.
