E.P.A. to Assist Hillsboro, Kan., Water Utilities in Bolstering Climate Resilience and Readiness

(Lenexa, Kan., Nov. 19, 2014) - The City of Hillsboro, Kan., was chosen to gain training and technical assistance to help water utilities bolster their climate change resilience and readiness. Hillsboro was one of in excess of 20 communities chosen to gain up to $30,000 each of assistance. E.P.A. will provide in excess of $600,000 worth of technical assistance and training across the country as part of the program.

"Climate change isn't a distant threat - it is already impacting communities across the country," said Ken Kopocis, deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water. "EPA is helping water utilities project for and adapt to these challenges to ensure that they can continue to meet their public health and environmental missions no matter what circumstances may arise in the future."

Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater utilities will participate in a multi-year plan to prepare for potential impacts from climate change. Challenges include droughts, more intense and frequent storms, flooding, sea-level rise and changes to water quality. Communities will gain technical assistance in using EPA's Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool, software that helps users identify assets, threats and adaptation options to help reduce risk from climate change.

During each risk assessment, utilities will consider potential future climate change impacts in an effort to build more climate-ready and resilient water services and infrastructure.

Such risk assessments will, for instance, help utilities:
These examples illustrate the variety of adaptation options utilities can identify and build into planning based on their risk assessments.

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