AWWA JTMGT57492

Jerusalem Water Undertaking (JWU) is an autonomous, nonprofit utility, whichprovides water services for about 230,000 people within a service area of 600km^2.JWU is located in the central part of the West Bank, which includes Ramallah and Al-Bireh twin cities as well as about 100 villages and 4 refugee camps.Due to the unstable political situation of the whole area, JWU was obliged to draft aCrisis Management Plan (CMP) to prepare itself for various exceptional conditions,which would constitute a threat to JWU and its ability to provide water services.JWU identified all possible scenarios (political, natural, hygienic and administrative)that could lead to a crisis. Consequently, a crisis management plan that covers allthese aspects was drafted.The West Bank, including Ramallah-Al-Bireh cities, was subjected to an Israeliincursion between the 29th of March and the 23rd of April 2002. This militaryincursion destroyed part of the network and the main pumping station. Some JWUemergency crews were shot at and detained.This crisis management paper discusses the actual dangers, risks anddestruction that JWU faced during the incursion and compares these conditions tothe Crisis Management Plan. The paper also focuses on the lessons JWU learnedfrom this experience, the necessary amendments to the plan and how JWU and otherutilities in similar conditions can cope with them. Includes 3 references.



Keywords: Management; Utilities; Risks; Emergency Planning; Jerusalem, Israel