State, county staff seek after‑action report after incident at Ithaca Water Treatment Plant

Tompkins County public‑health staff said they met with New York State Department of Health engineers and city officials to review an incident at the Ithaca Water Treatment Plant and will request a comprehensive after‑action report.

County staff described a meeting that included Alan Strepelas, identified as the New York State Department of Health regional coordinator and a professional engineer, Scott Freiberger, the county’s public‑health engineer, city of Ithaca officials and county staff. The county plans to request an after‑action report identifying root causes and recommendations for remediation, staff said.

Staff said the early review identified operator error as a primary cause, with short staffing on the day in question (one operator on site while another was off‑site) and an absence of physical barriers that made the error possible. Staff also reported that the city has already drafted standard operating procedures, developed new forms and installed keyed locks on three external ports to prevent unauthorized access. Improved labeling and additional safety measures were also put in place.

Why it matters: a treatment‑plant incident can directly affect drinking‑water safety for residents. County staff said they will seek a fuller root‑cause analysis and recommendations to reduce the risk of a repeat incident.

County staff thanked local engineers and city staff for quick changes made immediately after the event and said they will follow up with a request for a formal after‑action report and recommendations.

Next steps: staff said they will request the written after‑action analysis, track implementation of recommended fixes, and report back to the board.