NOVEMBER 10, 2011
On 10 November 2011, Charles Scawthorn presented the final report on Water Supply In Regards to Fire Following Earthquakes to the California Seismic Safety Commission. The report summarizes research Scawthorn conducted at the University of California at Berkeley’s Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER), where he is a Visiting Scholar. Key findings were that both fire and water agencies in urban California expect water distribution systems to fail following a major earthquake, but that not enough is being done. A recommended program of action to improve this situation was approved by the Commission, and will be implemented in the coming year. The full report is available here, and a four-page summary is available here.