Cross-sector emergency planning for water supply utilities and healthcare facilities

The purpose of this article is to outline the criticality of water supply in sustained operations of healthcare facilities, particularly during community emergencies, and to advocate for enhanced cross-sector support from the water utilities in meeting this need. Information and ideas presented here were developed in the course of a regional project sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) for development of emergency water supply operations plans for critical water uses in the Washington, DC, area.