City of Modesto Utilities Department Emergency Response Plan for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Resource Recovery, Technology and Innovation

Example of an Emergency Plan from the City of Modesto a medium-size Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) showing their specific example written in response to COVID-19 and useful for what they are doing with safety and operations.

BACKGROUND:

Since the outbreak of the worldwide novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Stanislaus County Public Health Agency and the City of Modesto have been monitoring the situation in anticipation of its arrival in our community. On March 11, 2020, the Stanislaus County Public Health Agency received confirmation that two adult male residents of the county tested positive for the coronavirus by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). These tests are being confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Public Health Officer believes the coronavirus will continue to spread throughout our community and the length of time this pandemic will last is unknown.

The City of Modesto’s Utilities Department (Utilities) provides essential water and wastewater services which must be continued or restored quickly in the case of a disruption. The objective of this plan is to outline a phased approach to:

1. Reduce the risk of employee exposure to the coronavirus by implementing practices that limit employee contact with potentially exposed person(s) when feasible, identifying vulnerable employees and evaluating alternate work assignments, and ensuring best practices regarding hygiene and safety protocols are being followed.
2. Outline a staffing plan that which will ensure the continuity of Utilities operations in the case of severe absenteeism due to exposure or large-scale community circumstances.

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