On Aug. 31, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $11.75 million in grant funding for 10 midsize and large drinking water systems to boost resiliency against cybersecurity threats and extreme weather events.
This funding will support 10 projects and will come from the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program.
“Cyberattacks, wildfires, flooding, and other hazards represent a significant risk to water system operations, and EPA provides vital support to help increase resiliency to such threats,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. “With over $11 million in grant funding, EPA is helping ten drinking water systems strengthen their resilience to these risks while advancing best practices within the water sector.
Managing Utility Financial Risk in a Cyber Crisis
“This funding is just one part of the equation and complements the agency’s technical assistance work and partnership with federal agencies, states, and the water sector to address cyberattacks and natural hazards,” Kramer added.
The Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Grant Program supports building resilience against cyberattacks and natural hazards to strengthen vital water infrastructure across the country.
Cyberattacks on critical water infrastructure have increased significantly, including high-profile attacks this year targeting more than 100 drinking water and wastewater systems across 12 states. To deal with these ongoing threats, the ability of water infrastructure owners to withstand these challenages is becoming more critical.
Awardees for this funding include public water systems that serve a population of 10,000 people or more, and the funding was competed through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). EPA said it anticipates awarding federal grants to these recipients after legal and administrative requirements are satisfied:
- City of Lake City, Florida – $189,875 to increase the water system’s resilience to cybersecurity threats by modernizing their Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and pump control system.
- City of Orange City, Florida – $1,068,750 to increase drinking water system resilience to hurricanes through stormwater infrastructure and generator upgrades.
- City of Bloomington, Indiana – $2,375,000 to increase the water system’s resilience to natural hazards and extreme weather events through facility upgrades, backup generators, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system upgrades.
- City of Bay City, Texas – $1,110,105 to increase water well resilience to hurricanes and other extreme events through the construction of a new well facility.
- City of Coffeyville, Kansas – $687,240 to increase drinking water system resilience to extreme weather through water treatment plant repairs and the installation of a standby generator.
- Denver Water, Colorado – $1,125,000 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires and extreme weather events through dam infrastructure upgrades that will reduce flood risk and improve operational reliability.
- City of San Diego, California – $2,375,000 to address natural hazard and cybersecurity vulnerabilities through Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) replacement.
- City of Anderson, California – $804,530 to increase drinking water system resilience to drought and wildfire through water tank replacement and the installation of smart water monitoring devices and security cameras.
- City of Hemet, California – $ 1,150,000 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires and extreme heat through storage tank and transmission main upgrades.
- California-American Water Company, Sacramento, CA – $864,500 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires through water system upgrades and the purchase of an emergency generator.
In 2025, EPA proactively identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities at 277 water systems and worked to fix the issues with individualized solutions ranging from authentication protocols to enforcing strict access controls along with other technical updates and restrictions. EPA said that work is continuing today.
IN October 2025, the agency also released new and updated planning tools that water systems across the country can use to help prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents. EPA provides free cybersecurity technical assistance, assessments, training, and tools to help systems improve their cyber defenses. These resources, and more, are readily accessible at epa.gov/cyberwater.
For natural hazards, utilities can receive technical assistance to increase resilience through EPA’s Strengthening Water Infrastructure for Tomorrow (SWIFT) initiative. EPA also provides trainings on how to help utilities build resilience to cyberattacks and natural hazards. Utilities can visit EPA’s Water Utility Resilience Events webpage for a list of upcoming trainings. In addition, EPA offers self-help resources such as the Cybersecurity Risk Self-Assessment Resources, which help utilities systematically assess their own cybersecurity preparedness, and SWIFT’s Hazard Data Explorer, which helps utilities understand their unique natural hazard risks.
Learn more about this grant and EPA’s Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water grant programs.
Source/s: U.S. EPA
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