Winter Storm Uri: A Test of Texas’ Water Infrastructure and Water Resource Resilience to Extreme Winter Weather Events

Abstract

We synthesize the interconnected impacts of Texas’ water and energy resources and infrastructure including the cascading effects due to Winter Storm Uri. The government’s preparedness, communication, policies, and response as well as storm impacts on vulnerable communities are evaluated using available information and data. Where knowledge gaps exist, we propose potential research to elucidate health, environmental, policy, and economic impacts of the extreme weather event. We expect that recommendations made here — while specific to the situation and outcomes of Winter Storm Uri — will increase Texas’ resilience to other extreme weather events not discussed in this paper. We found that out of 14 million residents who were on boil water notices, those who were served by very small water systems went, on average, a minimum of three days longer without potable water. Available county-level data do not indicate vulnerable communities went longer periods of time without power or water during the event. More resolved data are required to understand who was most heavily impacted at the community or neighborhood level. Gaps in government communication, response, and policy are discussed, including issues with identifying — and securing power to — critical infrastructure and the fact that the state’s Emergency Alert System was not used consistently to update Texans during the crisis. Finally, research recommendations are made to bolster weaknesses discovered during and after the storm including (1) reliable communication strategies, (2) reducing disproportionate impacts to vulnerable communities, (3) human health impacts, (4) increasing water infrastructure resilience, and (5) how climate change could impact infrastructure resilience into the future.

The Marshall Fire: Scientific and policy needs for water system disaster response

“…Loss of water pressure can jeopardize fire‐fighting activities (AWWA, 2022; AWWA, 2018). Loss of water production, coupled with fire‐fighting demands, leaks in distribution systems, and building plumbing can prompt pressure loss (Glazer et al, 2021; Grigg, 2003). Drinking water system contamination is also possible (Proctor et al, 2020; Sham et al, 2013).…”

Small Drinking Water Utilities’ Resilience: The Case of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…5−8 Beyond introducing new stresses, emergencies can reveal potential imbalances in infrastructure resilience depending on socially determined factors that impact operations, such as the number of customers and ownership, for instance. 2,9 Here, we refer to resiliency as "the resistive and adaptive capacities that support infrastructure functionality in times of crisis or stress". 10 The existing disparities between water utilities of varying sizes spurred the allocation of additional funding for the lessresourced water utilities (i.e., under 10,000 customers) through the Safe Drinking Water Act.…”

“…Emergencies (e.g., humanitarian crises, extreme weather events) significantly disrupt and influence how water infrastructure systems operate and serve the public. − For example, large-scale disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns forced drinking water utilities (DWUs) to continue providing the public with clean water necessary to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation while incorporating social distancing policies (SDPs) into their operation and management and putting moratoriums (e.g., temporary halt on water utility shut-offs due to nonpayment) into place. − Beyond introducing new stresses, emergencies can reveal potential imbalances in infrastructure resilience depending on socially determined factors that impact operations, such as the number of customers and ownership, for instance. , Here, we refer to resiliency as “the resistive and adaptive capacities that support infrastructure functionality in times of crisis or stress” …”

MAD water: Integrating modular, adaptive, and decentralized approaches for water security in the climate change era

“…However, it is increasingly obvious that, despite Herculean efforts in monitoring and infrastructure investment, not all of the global population will reach the top of the ladder by 2030 (WHO, 2021b). Indeed, there will be backsliding in the water provision achievements made in some communities due to underfunding, climate change, and other disruptions (Glazer et al, 2021; Hohner et al, 2019; Norriss et al, 2021; Nunes et al, 2018; Odimayomi et al, 2021; Robinne et al, 2021; Spearing & Faust, 2020; Thomson et al, 2019). Hundreds of millions of people—many of them with some connection to piped water and sanitation in both the Global North and Global South—are facing “the end of water,” where “Day Zero” is an endemic condition (De Coss‐Corzo, 2022).…”