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o�sou TH <br /> F dx <br /> :J b <br /> W eFacE � � <br /> y� a 1, a2 <br /> 1865 <br /> Office of the Mayor <br /> NEWS RELEASE <br /> Tuesday, September 04, 2007 <br /> 4:30 pm <br /> South Bend joins launch of water disaster network <br /> Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876- <br /> 1564, or John Wiltrout, Director of Water Works Distribution, 235-9484 <br /> The City of South Bend's Utilities was one of three Indiana utilities to pioneer this week <br /> in the launch of a new network that will allow utilities to help restore water and other <br /> services during disasters, whether natural or manmade. <br /> Launched Aug. 29 on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall on the Gulf <br /> coast, the Indiana Water Agency Response Network, or InWARN, began with South <br /> Bend's Public Works, Valparaiso City Utilities and Veolia Indianapolis Water. But John <br /> Wiltrout, director of Water Works distribution, who represented the city at Wednesday's <br /> announcement at the Statehouse in Indianapolis, expects many of Indiana's more than <br /> 4,000 water utilities to join later. <br /> "It's going to be a network of utilities helping utilities," said Wiltrout, who will work to <br /> recruit additional utilities in the northern part of the state. "All the front-end work is done <br /> —liability, insurance,taking care of anything like that. That makes it easier for people to <br /> move." <br /> Indiana became the 10th state to officially form a Water Agency Response Network, <br /> although as many as 15 other states have WARN programs already in place or <br /> agreements pending, according to the American Water Works Association. <br /> "The City of South Bend is proud to be an environmental leader with our water works <br /> and wastewater treatment utilities, which puts us in a position to respond in the event of <br /> disasters," said Gary Gilot, director of public works. "With this agreement, South Bend <br /> will be better prepared to respond to others' needs or request assistance if a tragedy <br /> strikes us." <br /> The mutual aid agreement between the municipalities outlines procedures, <br />