State of Infrastructure Security: Protecting Water Lifelines From Physical and Cyber Threats Twenty years after 9/11 the challenges to maintain normal operation of water and wastewater systems continue to increase as the water sector works to improve drinking water security and resilience Alan Roberson
A Louisiana National Guard soldier distributes food and water to citizens in the wake of Hurricane Ida in Westwego, La., on Sept. 1, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Renee Seruntine)
Imagine that it’s Monday morning and you’re in your kitchen filling up the coffeemaker before starting the work week and nothing comes out of the tap. Now imagine by Friday you still have no water—not for coffee, your morning shower, your cooking and cleaning, or to flush toilets. Imagine for five days being unable to do these mundane activities you’ve come to take for granted every day—and that’s just the impact to you, personally. Without water and wastewater service many businesses can’t open, and eventually, an entire community’s ability to function begins to degrade. The fact remains that drinking water is fundamental to life and our expectation is to have this convenient service (along with wastewater) at our fingertips every minute of every day of every year. When it’s gone, it’s not only extremely disruptive to us individually, but its absence also threatens everything around us..
Legislation Addresses Security Twenty years after 9/11, the challenges to maintain normal operation of water and wastewater systems continue to increase as the water sector works to improve drinking water security and resilience. In response to the terrorist attack, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-188) was passed on June 12, 2002. This legislation amended the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and required approximately 8,400 community water systems serving greater than 3,300 people to conduct vulnerability assessments (VAs) and prepare emergency response plans (ERPs). This legislation authorized (but didn’t appropriate) funding for preparing the VAs and ERPs and for emergency grants to states and utilities.
52 February 2022 • Florida Water Resources Journal
