San Diego AWIA Compliance, Disaster Recovery Plan, and Security Master Planning

Like many large utilities across the country, the City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department (PUD) faced increasing pressure to strengthen its resilience to natural disasters, cyberattacks, and other potential threats to its water and wastewater systems. In recent years, heightened public awareness, regulatory demands, and the growing frequency of extreme weather events made it clear that updated emergency planning and security protocols were essential. At the same time, the enactment of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018 introduced new federal requirements for utilities serving over 100,000 people, adding further urgency to the City’s need for comprehensive risk and resilience planning.

To address these challenges, the PUD partnered with Carollo to develop an integrated suite of emergency preparedness and security planning documents. This effort began with the development of a Security Master Plan and a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP), both of which identified needed improvements across physical infrastructure, electronic systems, and operational procedures. As the AWIA requirements came into effect during the project, Carollo expanded the scope of work to include full compliance support. By integrating the latest AWWA standards, including a J100 risk and resilience assessment (RRA) and evaluations based on G430 and G440 guidelines, Carollo helped the PUD meet both the Risk and Resilience Assessment and Emergency Response Plan certification deadlines, March and September 2020, respectively.

Carollo’s approach focused on creating clear, actionable documents that not only met regulatory requirements but also provided a long-term framework for resilience. By aligning the Security Master Plan, DRP, RRA, and ERP into one cohesive planning strategy, the PUD now has a stronger foundation for emergency preparedness and incident recovery. This integration supports staff training, operational readiness, and long-term capital planning efforts, enhancing the utility’s ability to protect public health and service continuity in times of crisis.

Following the success of this project, the City of San Diego selected Carollo to lead the upcoming 2025 AWIA recertification effort. This ongoing partnership reflects the PUD’s commitment to continuous improvement and Carollo’s trusted role in advancing utility security and resilience.