Multi-Barrier Approach: How does your water system prevent waterborne disease outbreaks?

The drinking water sector has one main goal: to prevent waterborne disease outbreaks. This training provides a comprehensive overview of what a waterborne disease outbreak (WBDO) is, how it is discovered and tracked, and how the multiple barriers in your operations protect water safety. The training also goes into detail on cybersecurity considerations and regulatory reporting requirements.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the multi-barrier approach to drinking water safety—including source water protection, treatment, and disinfection—and its importance in preventing waterborne disease outbreaks.
2. Identify the main causes of waterborne disease (viruses, bacteria, parasitic protozoa, and chemicals) and the corresponding requirements for reporting acute health risks, such as tampering or confirmed E. coli.
3. Describe the key steps for responding to a potential acute health risk, including customer and CDPHE notification, system restoration, and utilizing resources like the CoWARN network and the 24-hour emergency hotline