Te Hē o ngā Ratonga Waiwai Lifeline Utilities Failure
Lifeline utilities are the essential services we need every day, like electricity, water, gas, phone services, and transportation. These services can be disrupted during storms or earthquakes, or they may fail due to technical issues.
Knowing how to prepare for and respond to outages can help you and your community stay safe.
Preparing for a Lifeline Utilities Failure
Being ready for outages will help you stay safe:
- Build an emergency kit: Include batteries, a torch, a battery-powered radio, water, non-perishable food, and any medications you need.
- Store water: Keep enough water for each person in your household for three days. This should cover drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
- Backup power: If you can, consider getting a back up generator for use during electricity outages. If you are medically dependent on electricity, check out consumer care guidelines for more advice on how to prepare.
- Stay informed: Know where to get reliable information if your internet or phone service is disrupted. Keep your phone charged if lifeline utility disruption is possible like during severe weather.
If your utilities are disrupted, follow these steps:
- Conserve resources: Use water, electricity, and gas sparingly. Avoid open flames or gas appliances indoors to prevent fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Stay comfortable: Dress warmly if it’s cold and use blankets. In hot weather, stay cool by opening windows when it’s cooler outside.
- Stay updated: Use a battery-powered radio to get information. Save your phone battery by limiting unnecessary use.
- Turn off appliances: Unplug or switch off appliances to prevent damage when power returns. Leave one light on to see when the power is back.
When services are restored, take these steps:
- Check for damage: Look for any damage to pipes, gas lines, or electrical wiring. Report problems to the utility company.
- Boil water (if needed): If your water supply was interrupted, check if you need to boil it before using it. Boil water notices may be issued by local authorities and will be widely publicised.
- Restock your supplies: Replace any items you used from your emergency kit, like water and food.
Types of Lifeline Utilities
- Electricity: Power outages can happen for many reasons during all types of emergencies, or due to technical problems, or even cyber- or terrorist attacks. Long outages can disrupt heating, cooling, and other important services like refrigeration and medical equipment. The loss of power can also result in impacts to all other lifeline utilities such as pumping stations, telecommunications towers and traffic lights.
- Water supply: Water pipes can be damaged during earthquakes or due to old age. Water reservoirs can be contaminated during storms or by landslides. Losing access to clean water affects drinking, cooking, and hygiene.
- Gas: Gas leaks or supply problems can occur after earthquakes or from damaged pipelines. These issues can be very dangerous and may lead to explosions.
- Telecommunications: Phone and internet services can fail due to emergency events or technical issues, making it hard to communicate or get information.
- Transport networks: Roads and airports may close due to damage, which can limit access to supplies and emergency services.