Tempe AWIA Compliance and Supplemental Risk and Resilience Support

The City of Tempe recognized that building a more resilient water and wastewater system meant going beyond regulatory checkboxes. With the enactment of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA), the City saw an opportunity not only to meet federal compliance requirements, but also to take a broader look at its vulnerability to natural hazards, cyberthreats, and other evolving risks. To guide this effort, Tempe partnered with Carollo to conduct a comprehensive Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA), update its Emergency Response Plan (ERP), and lead a series of supplemental initiatives that would strengthen the City’s long-term resilience strategy.

Carollo’s approach centered on collaboration. Through a series of structured workshops, the team worked closely with Tempe staff to identify critical assets, evaluate threats, and recommend mitigation strategies to address both malevolent acts and natural disasters. Using the EPA-recommended AWWA J100 Standard, along with the G430 and G440 Standards, Carollo delivered a full-spectrum assessment of Tempe’s physical, electrical, and operational security practices.

To support this effort, Carollo utilized a suite of AWWA- and EPA-approved tools, including the PARRE software for risk analysis, the AWWA Cybersecurity Tool, the DHS Cybersecurity Evaluation Tool (CSET), and the Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool (WHEAT). These tools enabled a detailed and defensible evaluation of the City’s risks and response capabilities. Once the RRA and ERP were complete, Carollo provided training to City staff on how to use the tools and templates so they could continue updating these documents as assets and conditions evolve.

Tempe didn’t stop at baseline compliance. As part of its proactive risk management philosophy, the City asked Carollo to take on several additional tasks—including an assessment of wastewater and reclaimed water systems, a Continuity of Operations Plan update, a SCADA/cybersecurity review, an emergency response training needs analysis, and a review of public records policies and practices.

Together, these efforts provided the City of Tempe with more than just AWIA compliance—they delivered a clearer understanding of system vulnerabilities, a prioritized roadmap for improvements, and the internal capacity to maintain and strengthen resilience into the future.