The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) recently announced its support for the Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act (Water ISAC Threat Protection Act) that would encourage water system participation in WaterISAC information sharing.
The bill, H.R. 2344/S. 1118, was recently reintroduced by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to combat the rising incidents of cyberthreats to water utilities. The legislation would encourage drinking water and wastewater system participation in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC), an independent nonprofit organization that provides security resources for the water sector.
The water sector has experienced an escalation in threats over recent years, from physical security breaches to cyber attacks from foreign adversaries, including ransomware attacks and infiltration of online utility programs. This poses risks to the health of our communities, as bad actors could attempt to alter the treatment chemical levels of drinking water or lock a utility out of its programs.
The bill would establish an EPA program to encourage eligible drinking water and wastewater utilities to participate in WaterISAC, which provides these systems with actionable threat intelligence and guidance on risk mitigation, best practices, and emergency response. The legislation also proposed to offset the associated cost of maintaining or initiating WaterISAC memberships. It would also facilitate data sharing between utilities and WaterISAC to help collect incident data and improve threat analysis.
Currently, about 640 water and wastewater systems are members of WaterISAC, or one percent of all community drinking water systems. With additional resources, WaterISAC access could be broadened to include more of the nation’s water systems, raising the sector’s baseline level of preparedness by providing more utility managers with the tools they need to withstand natural, physical, and cyber threats.
AMWA, which represents large drinking water systems across the United States, led four other water sector associations in sending a letter of support for the recently reintroduced legislation to the bill sponsors.
“In recent years, our nation’s water systems have faced mounting threats from cyber attacks and infrastructure vulnerabilities that pose national security concerns and public health hazards,” said AMWA CEO Tom Dobbins. “The Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Treat Protection Act will enable more utilities to prepare for, mitigate, and respond to dangerous security threats by facilitating access to WaterISAC’s critical resources. AMWA is proud to support this legislation.”
AMWA said it applauds Congresswoman Schakowsky and Senator Markey for their leadership on this topic and dedication to improving the security of our nation’s drinking water and wastewater utilities. The resources provided by this legislation will directly bolster the security and safety of one of our most vital resources, our nation’s water supply.
Sources: AMWA, WaterISAC, NRWA
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