Emergency Preparedness & Security Committee

Dawn Keyler, Chair

The Emergency Response & Preparedness Committee has been continuing to provide Cyber Security Training for water and wastewater utilities municipalities in Indiana. To date we have provided training to almost 100 Indiana municipalities through virtual and in-person workshops.

Members of the Committee, along with Executive Director Monique Riggs, participated in a pop-up meeting with other AWWA and Section Staff members to share our success story with the Cyber Training. We provided guidance and tips on how to provide this training for their sections.

The EPA issued a new rule and guidance directing state officials responsible for implementing the Safe Drinking Water Act (IDEM for the utilities in Indiana) to assess cybersecurity resilience using the sanitary survey program. This action applies to all public water systems of all sizes effective immediately. While state adherence with the rule is mandatory, it is not clear how individual states will respond. AWWA and partner associations have long recognized the importance of cybersecurity and collectively taken actions to support cybersecurity improvements in the water sector. However, sector associations and associations representing local government have consistently opposed the sanitary survey approach. Members should be aware that EPA statements implying that the sanitary survey approach was developed in collaboration with the water sector are misleading, and that state primacy agencies have also opposed this action. At the time of writing this article, AWWA was working with partners to review the non-mandatory guidance and related materials that were open for public comment due May 31. We will share updated information as we know it.

Upcoming webinar dates are June 21, September 7, November 9. Upcoming in-person training dates are August 24 (in conjunction with the IWEA Annual Conference) and December 6 (Winter Institute). We hope to see you at an upcoming training!