Maine DWP Updates: Potential Staffing Shortages; DWP COVID-19 Website

Potential Staffing Shortages

With the continuation of the COVID-19 situation, Public Water Systems may experience staffing shortages. The DWP has the following suggestions for troubleshooting potential employee shortages:

• Reach out to  MEWARN (Maine’s Water/Wastewater Agency   Response Network) for resources including water operators   (employees of other Public Water Systems); • Contact local resources including former employees or others   who may be able to run your plant or operate other assets   during an emergency; • Connect with other superintendents who run the same or a   similar plant to discuss mutual aid options; • Contact your plant designer or engineer for potential support   by phone if your plant needs to be run by an operator who is   not familiar with it; • Reach out to trade schools and/or training programs to tap the   student workforce.

 

DWP COVID-19 Website

Please visit the DWP COVID-19 website for additional pandemic response resources, including:

1. The EPA Incident Action Checklist – Pandemic Incidents.

2. The Department of Homeland Security Pandemic Influenza – Guide for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources
    (although this guide was developed for an influenza pandemic, most of its contents can apply to the COVID-19
    pandemic).

 

URLs

• MEWARN: 
  https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/dwp/pws/meWARN.shtml

• COVID-19 Resources for Public Water Systems:
  https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/dwp/pws/covid19.shtml

• EPA Incident Action Checklist – Pandemic Incidents: 
  https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/dwp/wrt/documents/pandemicIAC.pdf

• DHS Pandemic Influenza – Guide for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources: 
  https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/environmental-health/dwp/wrt/documents/PandemicFluGuide.pdf

• Maine CDC Drinking Water Program Homepage:
  www.medwp.com