The City of Fort Bragg sits along the northern coast of California and boasts some of the most spectacular screen-saver-worthy Pacific Ocean views available. A small town of about 8,000 inhabitants, Fort Bragg values its independence and relative isolation with one tongue-in-cheek tourism slogan that claims, “You may be out of cell phone range for some time. You’re welcome.”
Fort Bragg’s utility departments often make decisions that consider reliability and resilience due to their remote location. In 2013, the water utility decided to upgrade their secondary chlorination and dosing system. Staff recognized that their distance from main logistics routes meant that not only would trucked-in commercial strength sodium hypochlorite (bleach) be expensive, but potentially difficult to obtain in an emergency. Like water utilities everywhere, Fort Bragg placed a priority on being able to “make water” in any situation.