Drinking Water Security
Drinking Water Security
Safe and reliable drinking water is essential to public health, economic stability, and emergency response. Yet today's water systems face growing threats, from natural disasters to cyberattacks, that can quickly disrupt service and endanger lives.
Every community, no matter its size, has a role to play in strengthening water system security and resilience. The time to act is before a crisis hits.
Resilience spans the full system: source, treatment, storage, distribution, and monitoring, often with interdependencies on power and communications.
Why Water Security Demands Action
Whether the threat is a flood, a power outage, a cyber breach, or deliberate contamination, the consequences of disrupted water service are serious and immediate. Critical sectors like healthcare, firefighting, food production, and sanitation all rely on uninterrupted water supply.
Top threats facing water systems today:
- Natural hazards (flooding, hurricanes, wildfires)
- Cyberattacks on operational networks
- Physical sabotage or contamination
- Aging infrastructure and interdependency failures (power, chemical delivery)
Communities that plan and invest in resilience are better equipped to recover, and may reduce damage costs, liability, and lives lost.
What Water Utilities Should Do Now
All systems serving over 3,300 people are required to assess risks and update emergency response plans under the America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA). But even smaller systems benefit from these practices.
Use free tools to assess threats, identify vulnerabilities, and prioritize upgrades.
Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) must account for both natural and human-caused events and be coordinated with local emergency management, fire departments, and public health officials.
Water systems increasingly depend on SCADA and other digital technologies. Cybersecurity lapses can lead to widespread outages or unsafe water conditions.
- Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication
- Keep systems patched and updated
- Restrict remote access and monitor for suspicious activity
Staff at all levels should know how to respond to contamination events, service disruptions, and emergency declarations. Annual tabletop exercises help ensure readiness.
Coordinate with:
- Emergency managers
- Public health agencies
- Neighboring utilities
- Law enforcement
Mutual aid agreements, regional response plans, and shared resource inventories improve speed and capacity during emergencies.
What Community Officials Can Do
Local leaders have a vital role in promoting water resilience.
- Encourage utilities to complete risk assessments and ERPs
- Support investments in resilient infrastructure and backup systems
- Include water systems in community-wide emergency planning
- Help communicate risks and preparedness steps to residents
Funding and Resources
Resilience improvements may be eligible for federal or state funding. Explore:
- FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
- State revolving funds or rural infrastructure grants
Take the First Step
Every day without action is a day of increased risk.
Start today by downloading the tools, assessing your system, and committing to a safer, more resilient future.