Emergency Communication, Incidents & Customer Complaints

Learn how water and wastewater operators communicate during incidents, escalate problems, document emergency actions, handle customer complaints, and coordinate with supervisors, owners, laboratories, and outside agencies.

Water and wastewater operators regularly communicate information that can affect public health, environmental protection, treatment reliability, safety, and customer service. During normal operation, communication supports coordination. During an incident, clear and timely communication can determine whether a small problem remains controlled or becomes a larger failure.

Operators should know who must be contacted, what information should be provided, how the communication should be documented, and when an issue must be escalated.

Communication Is Part of Operations

Communication is not separate from technical work. It is part of operating the system.

Operators may need to communicate with:

other operators;
supervisors;
the system owner;
maintenance personnel;
laboratory staff;
contractors;
customers;
emergency responders;
regulatory agencies;
neighboring utilities.

The information required depends on the event and the person receiving it.

Recognize When Communication Is Urgent

Some conditions should be communicated immediately rather than waiting for a routine meeting or shift handoff.

Examples may include:

loss of treatment;
loss of disinfection;
major equipment failure;
chemical spill;
main break;
sewer overflow;
loss of pressure;
serious laboratory result;
injury;
fire;
flooding;
power failure;
security incident;
other conditions threatening public health, safety, or compliance.

Operators should know the facility escalation procedure before one of these events occurs.

Use an Escalation Chain

An escalation chain identifies who should be contacted as the seriousness of a problem increases.

A typical chain may include:

Shift operator or responsible employee.
Available certified operator or operator in responsible charge.
Supervisor or plant manager.
System owner or designated management contact.
Emergency responder, laboratory, contractor, or regulatory agency as required.

The exact chain depends on the facility and event.

Do Not Delay Critical Communication

An operator should not wait until every detail is known before reporting a serious developing condition.

The initial communication should provide the best verified information available.

Additional information can be provided as the situation develops.

Waiting too long can delay:

corrective action;
additional staffing;
maintenance support;
public protection;
required regulatory reporting.

Communicate Facts

Emergency communication should distinguish between facts and assumptions.

For example:

Verified: chlorine feed pump stopped at 09:15 and entry-point residual decreased to 0.4 mg/L.

is more useful than:

The whole disinfection system is failing.

The second statement may or may not be true.

Basic Incident Communication

A useful initial incident report should answer basic questions:

What happened?
Where did it happen?
When was it discovered?
What is the current condition?
What equipment or process is affected?
What actions have already been taken?
What help or decision is needed?

This structure allows the receiving person to respond efficiently.

Use Clear Numbers and Units

When communicating process information, include the actual value and units.

Instead of saying:

The flow is very high.

say:

Influent flow increased from 1.2 MGD to 2.7 MGD during the last two hours.

Specific values help others understand the seriousness of the condition.

Repeat Critical Information

During high-stress situations, misunderstandings can occur easily.

For important instructions, the receiving operator should confirm the information.

This may include repeating:

equipment number;
chemical dose;
valve position;
sampling location;
contact instruction;
time requirement.

Closed-loop communication reduces errors.

Document Important Communications

Important operational and emergency communications should be documented when appropriate.

The record may include:

date;
time;
person contacted;
method of contact;
information provided;
instructions received;
follow-up required.

This creates a record of what was communicated and when.

Emergency Contact Lists

Facilities should maintain current emergency contact information.

Contacts may include:

available operators;
plant management;
system owner;
maintenance personnel;
electric utility;
chemical suppliers;
laboratories;
emergency responders;
DEP contacts;
contractors;
neighboring utilities.

Contact information should be accessible even when normal office systems are unavailable.

Verify Contact Lists Periodically

An emergency contact list becomes unreliable when phone numbers, employees, or vendors change.

Facilities should periodically verify:

names;
phone numbers;
after-hours numbers;
email addresses;
backup contacts.

Do not discover during an emergency that the only listed number is no longer active.

Incident Documentation

An incident record should preserve enough information for later review.

It may include:

date and time of discovery;
location;
initial condition;
equipment involved;
people involved;
actions taken;
notifications made;
samples collected;
temporary repairs;
time normal operation was restored;
follow-up required.

The documentation should be factual and complete.

Separate Immediate Response from Investigation

During an emergency, the first priority is to stabilize the situation.

A detailed root-cause investigation can occur later.

A practical sequence is:

Protect people.
Protect public health and the environment.
Stabilize treatment.
Notify required personnel.
Document immediate actions.
Investigate cause.
Implement corrective and preventive actions.

Do Not Assign Blame During Initial Response

Emergency communication should focus on facts and corrective action rather than blame.

Statements such as:

Operator B caused the failure.

may be premature before the event is investigated.

A factual statement such as:

Pump P-2 was found off at 07:20. The reason for shutdown has not yet been determined.

is more appropriate during the initial response.

Internal Incident Review

After the system is stable, the facility should review what occurred.

The review may ask:

What failed?
Why did it fail?
Was the condition detected quickly?
Were notifications timely?
Were procedures adequate?
Did staffing or training affect the response?
Was backup equipment available?
What should change to prevent recurrence?

Near Misses

A near miss is an event that could have caused harm or operational failure but did not.

Examples include:

a chemical delivery almost connected to the wrong tank;
a valve left in the wrong position but discovered before startup;
a pump failure that occurred while backup equipment was available;
a missed alarm detected before process failure.

Near misses can provide valuable information before a serious incident occurs.

Customer Complaints

Water and wastewater utilities may receive customer complaints about issues such as:

taste;
odor;
color;
low pressure;
high pressure;
cloudy water;
sewer odor;
sewer backup;
noise;
construction activity;
service interruption.

Complaints can provide useful operational information and should be handled systematically.

Treat Complaints as Information

An operator should not assume that a complaint is unimportant simply because no plant alarm is active.

Several similar complaints may reveal:

a distribution-system problem;
a pressure issue;
a water-quality change;
a main break;
a sewer blockage;
a pump-station problem;
a localized construction issue.

Complaint patterns can become an operational early-warning system.

Record Customer Complaints

A complaint record may include:

date and time;
customer name or identifier;
service address;
contact information;
nature of complaint;
when the condition began;
whether nearby customers are affected;
staff assigned;
investigation findings;
corrective action;
follow-up communication.

Accurate location information is especially useful when evaluating complaint patterns.

Ask Specific Questions

When receiving a water-quality complaint, useful questions may include:

Is the issue at every faucet or only one?
Does it affect hot water, cold water, or both?
When did it begin?
Is the condition constant or intermittent?
Are neighbors experiencing the same problem?
Was plumbing work recently performed?
What does the customer observe?

These questions can help distinguish system problems from premise-plumbing issues.

Do Not Diagnose Without Evidence

Operators should avoid giving a customer a definite explanation before the cause is known.

For example, saying:

The odor is definitely from your plumbing.

may be incorrect.

A better response is to gather information, investigate, and explain what is known.

Customer Communication Should Be Clear

Customers may not understand technical treatment terminology.

Operators should explain conditions in plain language without creating unnecessary alarm.

A useful customer response should identify:

what is known;
what is being investigated;
what action the utility is taking;
whether the customer should take any action;
when follow-up is expected.

Do Not Provide Unapproved Health Advice

Operators should not invent health guidance or make unsupported medical claims.

If a situation requires public-health instructions, use approved utility, DEP, or public-health language.

This is especially important during:

boil water advisories;
contamination events;
chemical incidents;
other public-notification situations.

Escalate Serious Complaints

Some customer complaints require immediate operational review.

Examples include:

multiple reports of sudden low pressure;
sewage entering a building;
reports of unusual chemical odor;
visible contamination;
multiple water-quality complaints from the same area;
service interruption without known cause.

These complaints may indicate a larger system condition.

Use Complaint Patterns

A single complaint provides one data point. Several complaints in a geographic area or time period may reveal a pattern.

Facilities can review complaints by:

location;
date;
complaint type;
pressure zone;
distribution area;
collection basin;
recent maintenance or construction.

Mapping or trending complaints can help identify recurring infrastructure problems.

Coordinate Field Investigation

Customer complaints may require coordination among:

operators;
distribution or collection crews;
laboratory staff;
maintenance;
customer service;
management.

The complaint record should indicate who is responsible for follow-up.

Sampling After Complaints

Some complaints may justify water-quality sampling or field measurements.

Depending on the situation, operators may evaluate:

chlorine residual;
temperature;
turbidity;
pH;
odor;
color;
microbiological indicators;
other relevant parameters.

Regulatory samples and investigative samples should be handled according to applicable procedures.

Close the Loop with the Customer

When practical, the utility should communicate the outcome of the investigation.

Follow-up may explain:

what was found;
what corrective action was taken;
whether additional monitoring is planned;
what the customer should do next.

Closing the loop helps prevent repeated calls and demonstrates that the complaint was investigated.

Complaint Records Support Asset Management

Repeated complaints may support decisions about:

water-main replacement;
flushing;
pressure-zone changes;
sewer cleaning;
pump-station maintenance;
odor control;
capital improvements.

Complaint data can therefore support both operations and long-term planning.

Media and Public Communication

Operators should know who is authorized to communicate publicly on behalf of the utility.

During significant incidents, unauthorized or inconsistent public statements can create confusion.

The facility should identify:

designated spokesperson;
approved message;
public-notification process;
internal contact for media questions.

Operators should provide accurate technical information internally so the designated communicator can issue correct public information.

Social Media Reports

Utilities may learn about problems through social media before receiving a formal complaint.

A social-media post is not automatically verified information, but it may justify investigation.

Operators should verify conditions using operational data, field inspection, customer contact, or sampling as appropriate.

Protect Customer Information

Complaint records may contain personal information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers.

Access should be limited to legitimate operational and administrative needs.

Customer information should not be casually shared or included in unnecessary public records.

Communication During Shift Change

Open incidents and unresolved complaints should be included in the shift handoff.

The incoming operator should know:

what happened;
current status;
who has been notified;
what investigation is underway;
what follow-up is required.

An unresolved incident should not disappear simply because the shift changed.

Common Communication and Complaint Mistakes

Waiting for complete information before reporting a serious incident.
Communicating assumptions as though they are verified facts.
Failing to include units when reporting process values.
Failing to document important calls or instructions.
Using outdated emergency contact information.
Assigning blame before the cause is investigated.
Ignoring near misses.
Dismissing customer complaints without investigation.
Failing to record the complaint location.
Giving a customer an unsupported explanation.
Providing unapproved health advice.
Failing to recognize patterns among several complaints.
Failing to assign responsibility for follow-up.
Leaving an unresolved complaint out of the shift handoff.

A Practical Incident Communication Sequence

Recognize and verify the condition.
Protect people, public health, and the environment.
Stabilize treatment when possible.
Contact the appropriate operator or supervisor.
Provide verified facts, values, location, and time.
State what action has already been taken.
Request the decision or assistance needed.
Make additional required notifications.
Document communication and instructions.
Update affected personnel as conditions change.
Transfer unresolved issues during shift handoff.
Review the incident after conditions are stable.

A Practical Customer Complaint Sequence

Record the customer and location information.
Document the complaint clearly.
Ask specific questions about the condition.
Determine whether the issue may affect public health or system operation.
Escalate urgent conditions immediately.
Check operational data and recent system events.
Perform field inspection or sampling when appropriate.
Document findings and corrective actions.
Communicate the result to the customer when appropriate.
Review complaints for geographic or recurring patterns.

What to Remember for the Exam

Communication is an essential part of water and wastewater operation.
Serious incidents should be escalated promptly according to facility and regulatory procedures.
Do not wait for every detail before communicating a developing emergency.
Separate verified facts from assumptions.
Important process values should include the correct units.
Critical instructions should be confirmed to reduce misunderstanding.
Important communications should be documented with date, time, contact, and instructions when appropriate.
Emergency contact lists should be current and accessible.
Incident records should document conditions, actions, notifications, and follow-up.
Initial response should focus on stabilization before detailed root-cause analysis.
Near misses should be reviewed because they can identify hazards before a serious event occurs.
Customer complaints can provide useful operational information.
Complaint records should include accurate location and problem details.
Operators should investigate rather than assume the cause of a complaint.
Multiple similar complaints may indicate a larger system problem.
Operators should not provide unsupported health advice.
Unresolved incidents and complaints must be communicated during shift handoff.