DJ Q&A: Ross Moilan

DJ: What does the California Water Service Bayshore District do?

RM: Cal Water’s Bayshore District provides safe, clean, reliable drinking water through 54,000 service connections in three separate water systems (about 201,000 people). The systems are San Mateo, San Carlos and South San Francisco (includes Colma and a portion of Daly City). This also includes the unincorporated county area of San Mateo Highlands, Palomar Park, Broadmoor and Devonshire. This year, Cal Water celebrates its centennial, an achievement we don’t take lightly. Not too many companies reach their 100th anniversary, and we’re proud to join the ranks of Coca-Cola, General Electric, Ford, Kellogg’s and Johnson & Johnson, among some other major companies. Through the Great Depression, World War II, the computer age and a worldwide pandemic, we’ve been able to not just survive, but thrive.

DJ: How did you come to work at Cal Water?

RM: I was drawn to Cal Water because of its mission and the opportunity to serve customers through work that has a real, everyday impact. Water utilities are a critical lifeline for communities, and I wanted to be part of an organization that invests in resilience, safety and strong local operations, and one that improves the quality of life for those it serves. What I value most — both personally and professionally — is teamwork and preparedness, because those are the things that help communities respond and recover when challenges arise.

DJ: What types of emergencies does Cal Water plan for?

RM: For 100 years, Cal Water has been dedicated to delivering “trust on tap.” We plan for a broad range of scenarios, including earthquakes, wildfires, power outages, major main breaks, water quality incidents, supply chain disruptions,and cybersecurity events. Each type of incident can affect the system differently, so our planning focuses on everything from physical damage and access constraints to the ability to treat, store and deliver water safely. Emergencies can be regional, meaning multiple agencies and utilities may be responding at the same time. One of the great things about Cal Water is that we have multiple districts across the state and we all train for emergencies the same way, so that if a large-scale emergency occurs, our Bayshore team has the support of 1,200 other employees throughout California who can come in quickly and support our emergency response. The goal is simple: protect public health and restore safe, reliable water service as quickly as possible during and after an emergency.

DJ: Does Cal Water work with other agencies to run simulations or drills?

RM: Yes. Effective emergency response is a team effort, so we coordinate with local and regional partners on planning, training and exercises. We host a yearly Community Emergency Operation Center training session that includes a hands-on simulation of working through an emergency scenario. We invite and have attendees from the County Office of Emergency Services, city leadership and emergency management reps, local fire departments, local law enforcement, and other utilities. These drills help us validate our plans, practice decision-making and communications, and strengthen relationships before an emergency happens.

DJ: How will San Mateo County residents be notified in an emergency?

RM: In an emergency, residents may receive information through multiple channels, depending on the situation and which agencies are leading the response. This can include local emergency alert systems (phone/text/email), official county and city websites, social media updates, and media broadcasts. From the utility side, we also provide customer updates when there are service impacts — such as outages, boil water advisories or conservation requests — using the fastest and most reliable communication methods available.

DJ: Is there a notification system residents should sign up for in advance?

RM: We encourage customers to make sure their contact information is current with us as their water service provider, so they can receive important water-related notices quickly. We can send these messages through methods such as phone calls, texts, emails and door to door. In a larger-scale emergency, we will also notify the media and post on social media. We encourage residents to sign up for local county/community emergency alert notifications. Those systems are designed to send time-sensitive instructions during major incidents, including evacuation notices, shelter information and public safety updates.

DJ: What should households do to prepare for a water emergency?

RM: While we do everything in our power to keep water flowing in an emergency, water service could be disrupted after a major event. A good starting point for households to prepare for this scenario is storing an emergency supply of water for drinking and basic hygiene and keeping a flashlight, batteries, a first-aid kit and any necessary medications on hand. For the emergency water supply, we estimate one gallon per person per day, for at least three days. It’s also helpful to have a plan for receiving official updates, and to check in on neighbors who may need extra assistance during an emergency. For more information on emergency preparedness, we encourage readers to visit www.calwater.com/customercare/emergency-preparedness.