There were a few interesting and perhaps timely messages at this week's Smart Utility 2008 conference held in London http://www.iqpc.com/ShowEvent.aspx?id=123092&details=123110 where the Environment Agency took the opportunity to remind the assembled Utility representatives of their Pitt Review obligations. The Pitt Review made 92 recommendations following the 2007 Flooding, resulting in the Environment Agency taking on the overview role of all inland flooding.
Asset Managers were reminded that the focus is on critical assets and that their criticality must be based on a broad assessment of National need. Whilst the Environment Agency will offer whatever help and assistance it can, it is down to each utility to make the assessment and to put actions in place for themselves. It is the view of the Environment Agency that a few simple preparations will provide significant benefits, such as emergency power arrangements, considering how the site will be accessed and the location of key components.
The Environment Agency will feel, quite rightly, that their presentation has given guidance and provided fair warning of what to expect when the enivitable happens again, although, I am left wondering if this week's article in EDIE.net http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=15712 about the lessons from the flooding already being forgotten should be viewed as another timely reminder or as another angle on a campaign to get some joined up thinking in place. Joined up thinking would be a refreshing change!
In case anyone needs reminding, the experience of those who have ever been involved in managing an emergency is that the most critical resource are maps and drawings - they are the first thing that are asked for and without them everyone is quite literally lost.
So it will interesting to see if the utilities have received the message by taking up the challenge of getting their field mapping needs sorted out in time for the next big event.