First Responder Tools Training and Water

Globally up to a quarter of the world’s population is vulnerable to rapid contamination of karst aquifer drinking waters from SARS-CoV class and other pathogens, and from hazardous materials that may be washed into karst aquifers during emergency response.  Karst aquifers often have many direct openings to the land's surface, making drinking waters vulnerable to activities there. This includes activities by first responders such as fire control which can wash contaminants present in buildings, transport containers, pipes, and refuse piles into these openings. First responders in San Antonio, Texas, are now partners in a pilot project to equip them with training and georeferenced digital tools for use during emergencies to help prevent contaminates from entering water supplies. The project will have direct results on first responders’ capacity to protect public health of vulnerable populations. Current work is pioneering a Solution for scale-up to protect vulnerable populations in karst areas worldwide.

Our goal is to protect vulnerable populations from harm due to SARS-CoV class and other pathogens, and from hazardous materials that may enter karst aquifer drinking waters during emergencies. The current pilot project will help protect a vulnerable population of as many as 3 million people drawing water from a karst aquifer covering 2 million acres stretched across 180 miles of central Texas. Once tested locally, we envision expanding training to first responders in karst areas elsewhere in the U.S. and globally. In the U.S., 20% of the land’s surface is karst and 40% of the groundwater used for domestic water supply comes from vulnerable karst aquifers. Globally up to 25% of the world’s population is using groundwater from vulnerable karst aquifers. While COVID-19 is not especially hardy when carried in water, it remains somewhat infectious in human feces (sewage). However, SARS-CoV class pathogens as well as other pathogens can become dangerous waterborne vectors. Without preventative measures, a catastrophic pathogen or hazardous materials event in a karst aquifer is not only possible, but probably inevitable, especially in underdeveloped countries where water treatment options may be lacking. This Solution is focused on preventing or reducing the impact of such pandemic-like events.

Our Solution will help protect aquifer water quality in rural and agricultural areas in karst watersheds worldwide by providing unique Best Management Practices (BMPs) for protecting the aquifer and training materials and tools for first responders to use during emergency events.  Protection will come from preventing or reducing discharge of hazardous or pathogenic materials into drinking water, in particular in water runoff from response to emergencies such as fire or service line breaks where there may be hazardous or pathogenic materials released and from accidents along transportation corridors. Due to the unique nature of karst aquifers, if highly hazardous material or pathogens enter the drinking water supply during even a single event public health could be affected.

Our Solution includes the following:

1) develop a locally-relevant and comprehensive set of BMPs for aquifer protection;

2) design and deliver locally-relevant first responder training curricula and instructional materials (web-based and in-person training) for water quality protection in karst aquifers in rural and agricultural areas, and;

3) provide a user-friendly mobile database and interface that gives first responders georeferenced information showing locations of hazardous materials, points of aquifer vulnerability, elevation and water flow simulations, and embedded recommendations for protective action.

With about 15% of the Earth’s surface entirely or partly consisting of karst watersheds, up to 25% of the global population depends entirely or partly on freshwater from karst aquifers. Unfortunately such aquifers are vulnerable to contamination and difficult to manage. Sinkholes at the surface leading to the aquifer are often used as dumps for community, farm, and industrial trash and hazardous materials. Sinkholes can also serve as catchments for human sewage and runoff from animal pens. Openings to the aquifer are often near corridors of transportation where materials off roads and railways can contaminate underground waters. Actions taken by frontline workers during emergency responses, such as those associated with fire control and service line breaks, can inadvertently flush SARS-CoV class pathogens, as well as even deadlier pathogens along with other hazardous materials into underground drinking waters. This can take place in urban, rural, and agricultural areas. We are working directly with first responders and hazardous materials experts on all phases of the pilot work. We will engage local emergency and public health workers, and other stakeholders to evaluate the pilot’s training, tools, and practices and to make recommendations for improvement and application in other locations.

Our Solution directly addresses the Challenge’s need for first responder training and data that informs decision making, by providing technology-driven techniques and tools that support and protect health workers in their efforts to limit or prevent harmful or lethal pathogens and hazardous materials from entering drinking water supplies. Training and tools will enable first responders to limit or block the spread of an emerging health threat in the drinking water supply. Georeferencing technologies will help responders identify threats and take defensive actions to protect sensitive water supplies and public health, potentially for up to 25% of the world’s population.

Our work now underway is the first effort of which we are aware to develop locally relevant training and georeferenced tools for first responders to protect vulnerable populations from hazardous materials and SARS-CoV class and other pathogens in karst aquifer drinking water supplies. As such, we are not aware of any competitors.

What most likely makes our approach unique is that it is locally-driven. Locations of hazardous materials and areas at high risk of pathogen release, as well as points of entry from the surface directly to karst aquifer waters are highly localized. Our approach makes use of available big data and georeferencing data sets on a locally relevant basis.  Our curricula and training are also designed for local relevancy.  This approach can’t be reproduced on an assembly line.  It requires contact with local first responders and involvement of experts with local knowledge.

There are two core technologies driving this solution.

One is focused on big data and delivering that data in a user-friendly mobile format that informs first responder decision making. This involves developing and populating (with data) a user-friendly mobile interface that provides first responders georeferenced points of aquifer vulnerability, and detailed elevation data and water flow simulations where 1) there are hazardous materials stored or other threats to drinking water; 2) there are known openings from the surface directly into the drinking water aquifer, thus points of vulnerability to pathogens or hazardous materials, and; 3) there are landscape features that can be used to block or mitigate entry of pathogens or hazardous material into the aquifer. This tool will also provide site-by-site suggestions for response based on exact location of the emergency event. This information will reside on the georeferenced database and will be provided through ground-truthing by an emergency responder and aquifer protection expert.

The other core technology is unique curricula and first responder training based on uniquely designed best management practices and crafted to specifically address first responder actions at locations vulnerable to pathogen and hazardous materials entry to the aquifer. While development of curricula and delivery of training is not exactly a technology, part of the training will focus on use of new technology-driven tools for protecting drinking water and human health.

We are unaware of previous application of this technology in this fashion, where locally-developed training and georeferenced tools have been developed for first responder use to protect karst aquifer drinking water. Pilot work is underway, which will include an assessment of the curricula, training, and tools (including the georeferenced database and mobile interface) for use in San Antonio, Texas. This assessment will take place after first responders have received training and have had time to respond to multiple emergency situations where the new Best Management Practices (BMP), training, and tools have been used. All work has been delayed by COVID-19 restrictions.

Use of BMPs for stormwater management is a standard procedure and use of mobile georeferencing systems to locate features or threats across a landscape is commonly done.  First responders regularly receive training on dealing with hazardous materials. Our application combines data in a new and different way, to provide highly localized information specific to first responder needs for addressing emergencies over a karst drinking water aquifer to prevent its contamination by pathogens and hazardous materials. We believe what is under development for San Antonio will work as anticipated in San Antonio or anywhere else in the world where underground drinking water is vulnerable.

Here are links to training items to help first responders recognize openings to the aquifer.

https://youtu.be/b4InAvby4cs

https://youtu.be/0-7SoiDZhZU

One academic paper has been written on BMPs on the project for protecting karst drinking water supplies. It has been through peer-review, but is not yet available for release.

Goal

Our Solution – the goal – is to help first responders protect underground karst aquifer drinking water supplies of vulnerable populations from contamination during emergency events.

Activities

Our activities that will help us reach that goal include

• developing locally relevant management practices;

• delivering curricula and training based on applying those practices, to include training on how to spot and evaluate areas of vulnerability to the aquifer across the local karst landscape, and;

• building a georeferenced database and user interface to help first responders make decision on site and in real time to protect water supplies and public health during emergency situations.

Outputs

First responders will gain an understanding of the threat to drinking water supplies from emergency response.

First responders will learn how to mitigate or eliminate contamination of the aquifer during emergency response.

Short-Term Outcomes

First Responders

First responders will use the techniques and technologies to protect karst aquifer drinking water supplies in the course of responding to emergencies.

First responders will help improve the techniques and technologies, as well as application of them in the course of responding to emergencies.

Through networking and mutual assistance during emergencies, first responders will share information with each other and expand training and coverage to increase use of techniques and technologies to protect drinking water supplies.

Vulnerable populations

The public gains and understanding and appreciation of first responders role and efforts to protect drinking water supplies.

Members of the public dependent on karst aquifer water remain safe from contamination of the aquifer from emergency response.

Long-Term Outcomes

Public health is protected from the catastrophic long-term and widespread effects of pathogens or hazardous materials in their water supply.

Once underway, our pilot project will directly protect the karst aquifer water that supplies 1.5 million people in San Antonio, Texas, the 7th largest city in the U.S. All work has been delayed by COVID-19 restrictions, but we expect to begin first responder training soon after restrictions are lifted. As a result, while the number of people this project work currently protects is zero (0), we expect within the next few months that number will be about 1.5 million.

Our immediate goal is to expand as soon as possible the training and georeferenced tools to cover the entire karst Edwards Aquifer which spans over 2 million acres stretched across 180 miles of Central Texas, and provides part or all of the water supply for over 3 million people.

A longer-term goal is to use this project as a model for training and tools to protect vulnerable populations nationally and worldwide should we be successful with raising funds or MIT-SOLVE. In the U.S., as much as 20% of the land surface is karst and as much as 40% of the groundwater used for drinking comes from karst aquifers. Globally as much as 25% than a quarter of the world’s population depends entirely or partly on freshwater from karst aquifers, with the associated karst watersheds covering about 7-12% of the world’s land surface (Ford and Williams 2007).

Summary Number of People Served:

Now: 0

One year: 1.5 million

Five years: over 3 million

Our immediate goal within the next year, assuming COVID-19 restrictions on training are lifted, is to expand as soon as possible the training and georeferenced tools to cover the entire karst Edwards Aquifer which spans over 2 million acres stretched across 180 miles of Central Texas, and provides part or all of the water supply for over 3 million people.

A longer-term goal is to use this project as a model for training and tools to protect vulnerable populations nationally and worldwide should we be successful with raising funds or with help through MIT-SOLVE.

In the U.S., as much as 20% of the land surface is karst and as much as 40% of the groundwater used for drinking comes from karst aquifers. Globally as much as 25% than a quarter of the world’s population depends entirely or partly on freshwater from karst aquifers, with the associated karst watersheds covering about 7-12% of the world’s land surface (Ford and Williams 2007).

Barriers to reaching our ultimate goals of coverage beyond the karst aquifer of central Texas will be 1) lack of funding for work in karst aquifers beyond Texas, 2) lack of access to local resources and people (first responders and subject matter experts), and 3) lack of a functional business model that enables internationally relevant work strong connected at the local level. Here are details:

A factor now delaying reaching our most immediate goals of training for the pilot project is continuing requirements for social distancing due to COVID-19.  This has restricted training of first responders and has brought work to a standstill. 

Once training is complete our next goal will be to conduct testing and evaluation of the curriculum, training, and tools. This will take place approximately six months after training begins and first responders have had time to use their new knowledge and tools in practical application.

Once pilot work has been implemented, tested, and assessed our goal is to obtain funding for additional training and expanding coverage of tools to support first responders in nearby communities using the karst aquifer’s drinking water. This will expand protection of drinking water to over 3.0 million people.

Our ultimate goal is to expand coverage to the U.S. and internationally. Because our approach to training, BMPs, and georeferenced tools is locally-driven, expansion will involve establishing local partnerships with first responders and people with expertise on local karst aquifers, and obtain access to local datasets.

1) For funding we hope to leverage the results of the pilot now underway to justify additional funding through contracts from local governments. We believe there is sufficient interest in our current work by first responders in nearby communities dependent on karst aquifers to fund additional work. We are unsure if we can extend work beyond Texas by similar fundraising. We have recently submitted grant proposals, but since current work remains unfinished we do not yet have a sufficient track record to warrant high levels of interest. We hope this will change as more information about the project circulates within the emergency response community.

2) For our Solution to evolve and scale up, we will need to partner with local stakeholders in every instance of work. Karst drinking water supplies may extend across as much as 15% of the earth's surface, but their characteristics at any point are highly localized.  Forming partnerships may be challenging if stakeholders are poorly informed. We hope to remove barriers by effective communication at the local level, possibly by initially partnering with local karst aquifer experts.

3) For our business plan we look to SOLVE for help building a sustainable model. Because SOLVE has access to expertise in academic and business environments, SOLVE may be well-suited to help guide our transition from delivering a local Solution requiring very localized resources to delivering a global solution that requires very localized resources. How does one attempt to “scale up” such an undertaking? We hope SOLVE will help.

The team for the current pilot project was established through a partnership created under a grant from the City of San Antonio to the Texas A&M University in San Antonio’s Institute for Water Resources Science and Technology. Continuation of the project beyond the pilot project now underway would be coordinated through the Texas A&M University in San Antonio and its Institute for Water Resources Science and Technology. Several members of the team are locally based and would not participate in work beyond the current pilot.

For the current project, there are nine individuals who have played significant roles on the team.  There are no full time staff.

Several members of the team are locally based and would not participate in work outside of the Edwards Aquifer. New team members would join to cover other karst aquifers in the U.S. and internationally.  In addition, solution team members local to a karst aquifer would join to work on that aquifer for the duration of project work in that location.  Local members of the team would be first responders from the area, community members, and subject matter experts.

Work on early aspects of the project was underway for about ten years by team member, the Edwards Aquifer Authority.  Work on the current project began with drafting a proposal three years ago by Texas A&M University in San Antonio. Funding of $212,000 and $78,000 in-kind contribution was received in September 2019. Work on the pilot as described in responsive questions to MIT-SOLVE has been underway since that time.

The current project was uniquely designed to make use of team members’ specialized skills in karst aquifer protection, emergency response training, and integration of technology in delivery of big data for land and water resources decision making and assessment.

Team Members:

• Texas A&M University in San Antonio’s Institute for Water Resources Science and Technology. Institute director and Solution Team leader, Dr. Rudolph Rosen, is a leading voice in Texas for water security planning and development of an internet for water data and water resource modeling.

• Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA). The EAA is the government management agency for the Edwards Aquifer and employs some of the world’s top experts on karst aquifer protection.

• Texas A&M University Extension Service (TEEX).  The Fire and Emergency Services training academy operated by TEEX is one of the world’s foremost emergency services training sites, offering training programs and technical assistance to public safety workers world-wide.

• San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD). The SAFD employs cutting edge technologies for fire and hazardous materials control, and serves the seventh largest city in the U.S.

Work on the current pilot project involves five key team member organizations:  

• Texas A&M University in San Antonio’s Institute for Water Resources Science and Technology. The Institute provides overall project leadership, grants management, and scientific/technical support.  

• Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA). The EAA’s staff developed Best Management Practices for the karst aquifer, designed the user-friendly mobile interface for data visualization, and built the database that provides first responders georeferenced points, detailed elevation data, and water flow simulations to help emergency responders protect karst aquifer drinking waters. 

• Texas A&M University Extension Service (TEEX).  The Fire and Emergency Services training academy is developing the training curriculum and will deliver training to first responders.  

• San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD). Fire fighters and hazardous materials response team members will be the first to receive training and will evaluate the curriculum and tools.

• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Video crews and drone operators from TPWD helped develop training curriculum materials to help first responders identify areas vulnerable to contamination of aquifer waters.

The current pilot project is managed through a grant to the Texas A&M University at San Antonio. The grant is funded by the City of San Antonio out of a sense of need. We expect this and additional grants will carry the project forward to completion in Texas. We do not, however, have a reasonable business model to extend this work beyond Texas. For that we are making our pitch to SOLVE.  We hope to receive funding, but also hope SOLVE can be an avenue for support and advice on building a business model that fits our particular situation. There is clearly a need for what we have developed.

Our Solution will help first responders prevent or reduce discharge into the aquifer of potentially catastrophic pathogens and hazardous materials in water runoff from their response to emergencies such as fire caused by arson, flood, high wind, lightening, and explosion in structures and along transportation corridors. This pollution source has been recognized as potentially highly significant and in need of control over karst aquifer zones by the Texas State Legislature and the Edwards Aquifer Authority. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized karst aquifers as the most vulnerable aquifer type. For over a decade there were attempts to provide guidance to first responders in San Antonio, with only minimal success. The current pilot project leverages past attempts by developing and implementing new BMPs, training, information access, education, and contaminant control measures. This work is applicable, worldwide.

We hope to leverage the results and products of the pilot now underway to justify additional funding through grants and contracts from local governments. We believe that there is sufficient interest in our current work by first responders and stakeholders in nearby communities dependent on karst aquifers to fund this additional work. But we need to finish the pilot project, including completing evaluations by first responders, community stakeholders, and karst aquifer experts. Once completed, we will have a basis for seeking funding from nearby communities, as well as from communities beyond Texas dependent on karst aquifers for drinking water.

The potential market is very large. In the U.S., 20% of the land’s surface is karst and 40% of the groundwater used for domestic water supply comes from vulnerable karst aquifers. Globally more than a quarter of the world’s population uses groundwater from karst aquifers.

However, we realize that once we extend work beyond Texas there may be a more sustainable model better suited to delivery of this Solution to contamination of karst aquifer water supplies. We hope that SOLVE may help set us on a more sustainable path.

Barriers to reaching our ultimate goals of coverage beyond the karst aquifer of central Texas will be 1) lack of funding for work in karst aquifers beyond Texas, 2) lack of access to local resources and people (first responders and subject matter experts), and 3) lack of a functional business model that enables internationally relevant work strong connected at the local level.

We hope SOLVE may be able to help with all three, however it may be lack of a functional business model that may be the most significant barrier given our starting point, and also may be the most readily solved by SOLVE. Because SOLVE has access to expertise in academic and business environments, SOLVE may be well-suited to help guide our transition from delivering a local Solution requiring very localized resources to delivering a global solution that requires very localized resources. How does one attempt to “scale up” such an undertaking? SOLVE may also be well-suited to evaluate our current university nonprofit grant-driven model versus a more generalized nonprofit model suitable for partnerships involving a university, local communities, emergency services agencies, and technical experts.

For our Solution and Solution Team to evolve and scale up, we
will need to transition from delivering a local Solution requiring very
localized resources to delivering a global solution that requires very
localized resources. This will require partnering with local
stakeholders in every instance of work. Karst underground drinking water supplies may extend across thousands of square miles and cover as much as 15%  of the earth's surface overall, but their characteristics at the surface are highly localized.  Stakeholders will include local emergency responders, community officials, people with expertise on local karst
aquifer features and hydrogeology, and holders of local data usable for
building georeferenced materials for use by first responders. Stakeholders may be in local organizations or agencies, universities, or
individuals.

We do not know SOLVE members or have specific ideas on partnerships from the SOLVE network.  We already have access to karst aquifer experts worldwide and technical experts capable of developing training curricula for emergency responders and georeferenced database tools and user interfaces. Where we lack partners is on the business model and sustainable development side of the project, long term. This is where SOLVE could play a significant role in assisting advance our solution.  

Globally up to a quarter of the world’s population is vulnerable to rapid contamination of karst aquifer drinking waters from SARS-CoV class and other pathogens, and from hazardous materials that may be washed into karst aquifers during emergency response. First responders in San Antonio, Texas, are now partners in a pilot project to equip them with training and georeferenced digital tools for use during emergencies. Our current work will help prevent contaminates from entering water supplies in that community with a vulnerable population of 1.5 million people.

We would use the Elevate Prize to scale up the current pilot project, transitioning from delivering a local solution requiring very localized resources to delivering a global solution that will still require delivering very localized resources and still require partnering with local stakeholders in every instance of work. Karst underground drinking water supplies may extend across thousands of square miles and cover as much as 15% of the earth's surface overall, but their characteristics at the surface are highly localized requiring localized solutions for their protection.

Marshaling the resources and funding from the Elevate Prize could help expand our work beyond protecting the health of 1.5 million people in Texas to protecting the health of a quarter of the world’s population.

Globally up to a quarter of the world’s population is vulnerable to rapid contamination of karst aquifer drinking waters from SARS-CoV class and other pathogens, and from hazardous materials that may be washed into karst aquifers during emergency response. First responders in San Antonio, Texas, are now partners in a pilot project to equip them with training and georeferenced digital tools for use during emergencies. Our current work will help prevent contaminates from entering water supplies in that community with a vulnerable population of 1.5 million people.

We would use the The People's Prize to scale up the current pilot project, transitioning from delivering a local solution requiring very localized resources to delivering a global solution that will still require delivering very localized resources and still require partnering with local stakeholders in every instance of work. Karst underground drinking water supplies may extend across thousands of square miles and cover as much as 15% of the earth's surface overall, but their characteristics at the surface are highly localized requiring localized solutions for their protection.

Marshaling the resources and funding from the The People's Prize could help expand our work beyond protecting the health of 1.5 million people in Texas to protecting the health of a quarter of the world’s population.