Wastewater Management Failure

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Exercise Info
Type
Tabletop
Scenario
Wastewater Management Failure with third party dependencies
Category
—
Complexity
Moderate
Duration
120 min
Scheduled
—
Injects
12
Scenario Overview
Barwon Water is facing a critical malfunction in its wastewater management system at the Geelong treatment plant. A sudden and severe failure in critical third-party managed equipment has led to untreated wastewater being released into the Barwon River. The incident occurs during a period of heavy rainfall, exacerbating potential overflow and environmental impact. The failure not only threatens the integrity of water quality but also poses significant challenges in maintaining service continuity to the affected regions. As the organization scrambles to manage the immediate fault, they must also deal with the potential regulatory breaches and community concerns over environmental and health implications. This scenario tests Barwon Water's resilience and ability to coordinate an effective response amidst escalating operational, regulatory, and reputational challenges.
Aim
To evaluate Barwon Water's ability to manage a wastewater management failure while ensuring minimal disruption to services and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Learning Objectives
  • Test the effectiveness of the Crisis Management Team's (CMT) initial response to the wastewater management failure.
  • Validate the timeliness and accuracy of internal and external communications during the incident.
  • Assess the decision-making process regarding the invocation of Business Continuity Plans (BCPs).
  • Evaluate the ability to comply with regulatory notification requirements during the incident.
  • Confirm the adequacy of recovery strategies for restoring wastewater management operations.
Participants
Executive / Crisis Management Team Communications / PR Business Continuity
Master Scenario Events List (MSEL)
drag to reorder
#1 Initial System Alert
Delivered
T+5min Initial Failure Detection Email Geelong Treatment Plant Control → Crisis Management Team

Alert: A malfunction has been detected in the wastewater management system. Initial reports indicate untreated wastewater is being released into the Barwon River.

Expected: Initiate emergency notification procedures and convene the Crisis Management Team.
#2 Environmental Impact Report
Delivered
T+25min Escalation and Impact Assessment Radio Escalation Citizen → Executive Team Artefact required

The untreated wastewater is leading to significant environmental impact. High levels of pollutants detected downstream. People are starting to notice and they are not happy about this.

Expected: Escalate to relevant regulatory bodies and assess environmental impact.
#3 Social Media Backlash
Delivered
T+55min Crisis Communication Teams / Slack Comms Communications Team → Crisis Management Team

Social media is abuzz with concerns about water safety. Hashtags #BarwonWaterFail and #RiverPollution trending.

Expected: Draft and release a holding statement addressing public concerns.
#4 Regulatory Compliance Query
Pending
T+60min Crisis Communication Email Action Water Regulatory Authority → Executive Team

Requesting a status update and compliance assurance regarding the Barwon River incident.

Expected: Prepare and send a compliance update to the regulatory authority.
#5 Competing Priorities
Delivered
T+65min Crisis Communication Radio Decision Local Government → Crisis Management Team

Local government demands immediate action to prevent further environmental damage amidst public pressure.

Expected: Prioritize actions and communicate effectively with local government.
#6 Conflicting Reports
Delivered
T+85min Recovery and Restoration Teams / Slack Operations Team → Crisis Management Team

Conflicting reports on equipment repair progress. Some teams report complete repairs, others report ongoing issues.

Expected: Clarify repair status and update recovery plans accordingly.
#7 Media Inquiry
Delivered
T+90min Recovery and Restoration News Bulletin Comms Local News Outlet → Communications Team Video ready Artefact required

**BREAKING NEWS SCRIPT – WASTEWATER INCIDENT** Good afternoon. We are following a developing story involving a wastewater issue affecting parts of the Barwon Water service area. Barwon Water has confirmed it is responding to an incident involving a wastewater system fault, with crews currently on site assessing the situation and working to contain the issue. At this stage, the cause has not been confirmed. The organisation says public health and environmental protection are its immediate priorities, and it is working closely with relevant authorities. Residents in the affected area are being asked to avoid contact with any visible wastewater or pooled water and to follow official advice as it becomes available. Barwon Water is expected to provide a further update shortly as more information is confirmed. More to follow.

Expected: Prepare a spokesperson and key messages for the interview.
#8 Community Health Concerns
Delivered
T+95min Recovery and Restoration Radio Escalation Local Health Department → Crisis Management Team

Reports of health issues in the community potentially linked to the wastewater release.

Expected: Coordinate with health authorities and update public health advisories.
#9 Equipment Supplier Update
Delivered
T+100min Recovery and Restoration Email Action Equipment Supplier → Operations Team

Update: Replacement parts for the malfunctioning equipment will arrive in 48 hours.

Expected: Update recovery plans based on new equipment arrival timeline.
#10 Post-Incident Review Announcement
Pending
T+105min Recovery and Restoration Email Action Crisis Management Team Leader → All Participants

Please prepare for a post-incident review meeting to discuss lessons learned and improvements.

Expected: Prepare for and participate in the post-incident review.
#11 Ransom Ultimatum
Pending
T+0min Dark_web Artefact required

Barwon Water is contacted by hackers with a ransom ultimatum. They have used the disruption as the mechanism to attack and have stolen some data. Will they pay the $500,000 asked?

#12 Basement of Hospital Flooded
Delivered
T+0min News Bulletin Generating… Artefact required

The chief wardens and clinical health coordinators need to manage a flood basement of a major regional hospital.

Expected: Assess the risk, review business continuity strategies, identify impacted services, contact stakeholders.