Welcome

Seal of the great state of Louisiana

Following the impacts of Hurricane Katrina and then Hurricane Rita, it became apparent that even with the extraordinary efforts of utilities, water associations, and state regulatory agencies, the demand for resources and knowing where those resources were available overwhelmed the ability to effectively coordinate the initial response.

Realizing that utilities needed a different approach, the following leaders in the water community and state agencies have joined together to create the Louisiana Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network or LaWARN.

Louisiana Rural Water Association
LRWA		 La Conference on Water, Supply, Sewage, and Industrial Waste
La. Conference		 Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
LDHH		 Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
LDEQ		 Louisiana Engineering Society
LES		 Lafayette Utilities System
LUS		 Southwest Section of the AWWA
SWAWWA

How to Join LaWARN

If your utility hasn't filled out the membership application click here.

For more information please contact info@LaWARN.org.

 

About LaWARN

Based on three other models, CalWARN, FlaWARN and TxWARN, LaWARN is designed to provide a utility to utility response during an emergency.

Our mission is to support and promote statewide emergency preparedness, disaster response, and mutual assistance matters for public and private water and wastewater utilities.

The LaWARN Web site does this by providing its members with emergency planning, response and recovery information before, during and after an emergency. As the nationwide WARN system expands, it will become easier to coordinate mutual aid with other states as needed, either as an assisting utility offering help, or as a damaged utility asking for help.

The core of the LaWARN Web site is its emergency equipment database that matches utility resources to a member's needs during an emergency. A member can locate emergency equipment (pumps, generators, chlorinators, evacuators, etc.) and trained personnel (eg. treatment plant operators) that they may need in an emergency.

The LaWARN program provides its member utilities with:

  • A standard omnibus mutual assistance agreement and process for sharing emergency resources among members statewide.
  • The resources to respond and recover more quickly from a disaster.
  • A mutual assistance program consistent with other statewide mutual aid programs.
  • A forum for developing and maintaining emergency contacts and relationships.
  • New ideas from lessons learned in disasters.

Please take a moment to explore our Web site!

News Update

LaWARN Mutual Aid Agreement Overview (11/13/06)