Water Security Information
2009 Sector Security Metrics Report Released
WaterISAC has released the Water Sector Coordinating Council’s (WSCC) 2009 sector-specific security metrics report. The initiative, which built on the Council’s 2008 work to measure security at water utilities, is part of a broader effort by the Department of Homeland Security to measure security among the nation’s most critical infrastructure sectors. The water sector was the first of all the 18 critical infrastructure and key resource sectors to complete its metrics initiative.
For a copy of the report, click here.
WSCC and U.S. EPA Release All-Hazards Consequence Management Plan
A joint public-private working group has released an All-Hazards Consequence Management Plan for the water sector. The plan, designed by utility managers and officials from U.S. EPA's Water Security Division, helps drinking water and wastewater utilities incorporate all-hazard consequence management planning into their emergency preparedness, response, and recovery plans and programs. It includes:
- Customizable lists of preparedness, response, and recovery actions that will improve resiliency across all hazards.
- Consequence-specific lists of actions for potential hazards that are most relevant to drinking water and wastewater utilities.
- Example incident-specific flow charts and checklists developed by a utility with links to the downloadable and customizable versions online.
- Information on how the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS) are used in preparedness and during response and recovery.
For a copy of the plan, click here.
H1N1 Flu Webinar Now Available Online
On Wednesday, October 21, WaterISAC hosted a town-hall style webinar on the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) outbreak. Nearly 200 drinking and wastewater utility personnel, including AMWA members, joined a panel of experts from across the federal government including DHS, EPA and CDC.
The panel briefly outlined the status of the outbreak along with mitigation and protection options. Webinar participants then entered into a group discussion with the guest experts and asked questions relating to inoculations, absenteeism, business continuity and any other flu-related issues.
To listen to the webinar in its entirety, click here.
NIAC Releases Study on Resilience
The National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) has completed a study on Critical Infrastructure Resilience. This Study focuses on critical infrastructure resilience, as opposed to community resilience. It examines how resilience is currently practiced by critical infrastructure businesses and where the challenges are in achieving resilience on multiple fronts. Its also examines current government policies and programs for resilience in critical infrastructure and key resource (CIKR) sectors. Finally, the Study focuses on identifying measures to achieve sector- and national-level resilience, cross-sector and supply chain related issues as they relate to resilience, and measures implemented by individual enterprises.
For a copy of the report, click here.
AMWA Submits Comments on Prospective Chemical Release Reporting Rule
AMWA staff has submitted comments on a proposed rule concerning reporting requirements in the event of a hazardous chemical release. The Chemical Safety and Hazards Investigation Board (CSB) is mandated by the Clean Air Act to investigate the causes and effects of such unintentional releases. CSB requested public comment on how best to formulate a mechanism that would formalize existing means for collecting information.
AMWA’s comments were based on the need for CSB to establish an intergovernmental mechanism for sharing information. In the wake of a severe yet unintentional chemical release, AMWA members should have the ability to focus on restoring services to customers rather then feeding multiple government agencies information. AMWA recommended that the government should utilize existing information collection protocols to help CSB meet its regulatory requirements.
For a copy of the letter containing the comments, click here.
EPA Releases NIMS Guidance for Water Sector
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a new guidance document entitled "Water Sector National Incident Management System (NIMS) Implementation Objectives." This document describes how water and wastewater utilities should implement NIMS and includes background information on NIMS, its benefits and water sector centric examples of how it can be implemented.
NIMS was established by DHS as a "uniform national system for integrating emergency/incident preparedness and response efforts" across multifaceted levels of jurisdiction. The Federal Emergency Management Agency developed NIMS guidelines for state and local governments but did not do the same for individual critical infrastructure sectors.
EPA's new guidance document is available here.
NIAC Releases Report on Disaster Recovery
The National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) elected to explore the United States' ability to respond to and recover from a major disaster that results in a prolonged loss of infrastructure services expanding beyond a local area. The report includes detailed discussion on the findings of the study and includes recommendations to address each of the gaps identified.
Among the numerous NIAC recommendations, the Council specifically identified that a better understanding of the public's and other CIKR sectors' dependency upon drinking water and wastewater services is essential to improving disaster response and recovery efforts. It states that most disaster response plans currently underestimate or overlook the reliance of the public and other CIKR sectors on access to water services. The NIAC also called on DHS to include the Water sector in all disaster/emergency response and recovery training and exercises, and recommended that water be elevated to an Emergency Support Function (ESF) in the National Response Framework during the next revision cycle.
For a copy of the report, click here.
WSCC Hosts Cybersecurity Training Workshops
In response to ever-evolving cyber threats to industrial control systems, the Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC) is hosting a series of workshops designed specifically to improve the knowledge, skills and abilities of U.S. based utility employees who are responsible for control system security. The Department of Homeland Security's Control Systems Security Program will present the workshop training and discuss security products that are available for use by Water Sector asset owners and operators.
Current workshop dates and locations include:
- Los Angeles, CA - September 28, 2009
- Chicago, IL - October 15, 2009
- San Antonio, TX - October 26, 2009
- Holliston (Boston), MA - November 3, 2009
For further information, please download the Cyber Workshop Flyer. The workshop is free but transportation, lodging and other expenses are the responsibility of the attendee.
To register for one of the workshops, please visit WaterISAC's Event Sign Up page. After registering, you will receive an e-mail with additional information including hotel and airport recommendations.
Water and Wastewater Sector Pandemic Guideline
This sector-specific guideline is an annex to the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Guide for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources and intends to assist water and wastewater utilities in planning for a catastrophic influenza pandemic. Utilities that fail to prepare for such a prolonged catastrophic event may find themselves without the staff, equipment, or supplies necessary to continue providing safe drinking water or treating wastewater for their community.
For a copy of the complete guide, please go to:
www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/cikrpandemicinfluenzaguide.pdf.
For a copy of the water annex, click here.
DHS Releases 2009 National Infrastructure Protection Plan
The National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) is a federal government level policy document which seeks to outline broad strategic objectives for the 18 Critical Infrastructure/Key Resource (CI/KR) sectors. The 2009 NIPP focuses on an amalgamation of policy areas including: overall vulnerability of U.S. based infrastructure, cyber threats, rolls and responsibilities of various federal agencies, high-level strategies for mitigating risks, tactics for providing resources for CI/KR protection and a number of other areas.
The plan was developed through an open comment process in which the water sector participated. Other highlights include increased information sharing through mechanisms such as information sharing and analysis centers (ISACS) and a focus on resiliency.
To download a copy of the NIPP, click here.
To download a brief summary of the NIPP, click here.
Water Sector Coordinating Council Releases Report on Metrics
On December 31, the Water Sector Coordinating Council's (WSCC) Metrics Working Group released its final report. The report is intended to measure the sector's progress in protecting the vital infrastructure under its control.
The WSCC began working on this effort in 2005 and thru the due diligence of the working group, the water sector is the first CI/KR sector to complete the process. Several hundred water and wastewater utilities participated in this voluntary reporting process that was administered by WaterISAC.
To download a copy of the report, click here.
Center for American Progress Releases Report on Chemical Security
The Center for American Progress released a much-anticipated report on the security of the nation’s 101 most vulnerable chemical facilities. The report claims that “the only certain way to protect our communities is to remove the possibility of a toxic gas release by converting facilities to safer, more secure alternative technologies.”
The report urges Congress to bring water and wastewater utilities currently exempt from Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) into a comprehensive regulatory framework. The 101 facilities mentioned in the report include 15 drinking water plants each of which serve population areas between 1 and 2 million people.
To download a copy of the report, click here.
To download a list of the drinking water plants listed in the report, click here.
TSA Issues Final Rule on Rail Freight Security
On November 13, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued a final rule intended to strengthen the security of the nation's freight and passenger rail systems and reduce the risk associated with the transportation of security-sensitive materials. Water utilities within High Threat Urban Areas (HTUAs) that receive gaseous chlorine via freight rail directly to their facilities will be affected by the rule.
The rule amends Chapter XII of Title 49 within the Code of Federal Regulations.
A copy that includes highlights and comments on sections of importance to the water sector is available for download, here. Appendix A includes a full listing of High Threat Urban Areas (HUTAs) around the country.
The TSA press release coupled with an unedited version of the rule is available at:
http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2008/1113b.shtm
DHS Releases Draft Chemical Security Performance Standards
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released a draft version of the Risk-Based Performance Standards (RBPS) Guidance Document for a 30-day public review and comment period. The draft is part of the Department’s effort to assist high-risk chemical facilities in selecting and implementing ‘appropriate’ protective measures and practices to meet the eighteen RBPS outlined under its Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) regulation.
Drinking water and wastewater systems are presently excluded from the CFATS regulation but that could change in the future. The draft RBPS Guidance Document provides facilities with insight on the general level of performance DHS would expect to see under each of the RBPS by a compliant facility in each of the CFATS risk-based tiers.
To download the draft version, click here.
To submit comments, access the federal rulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Comments on the draft are due by November 26 and should be identified by docket number DHS-2006-0073.
Water Sector Coordinating Council Publishes Strategic Roadmap
The Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC) published the final version of the 2008 WSCC Strategic Roadmap. The roadmap presents a vision and supporting framework of goals and tactics for securing the water sector over the next 12 months. The strategic document is the result of several workshops that integrated the insights and ideas of WSCC members, owners and operators and associations.
To download the roadmap, click here.
WSCC Working Group Releases Water Sector Decontamination Report
The WSCC’s Water Sector Decontamination Working Group released its final report, which identified and prioritized key issues for the sector in addressing the decontamination of water systems. Titled “Recommendations and Proposed Strategies Plan: Water Sector Decontamination Priorities,” the report aims to provide sensible recommendations for mitigating the contamination of water supplies by chemical, biological and radiological elements (CBR).
To download the report, click here.
Slideshow Available from Pandemic Influenza: CIKR Planning and Preparedness Workshop
AMWA, in conjunction with the WaterISAC and Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC), joined EPA and DHS in hosting a webinar for the water and wastewater sector entitled: “Pandemic Influenza: CIKR Planning and Preparedness Workshop.” The webinar brought together hundreds of water and wastewater operators from around the country. The interactive, online discussion focused on sector specific issues regarding preparing for, responding to and recovering from a global pandemic flu outbreak.
To download the slideshow, click here.
NIAC Releases Report on Insider Threats
The National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) has released a report outlining its study on The Insider Threat to Critical Infrastructures. At the request of DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, the report explores threats posed to critical infrastructures by those on the inside. Specifically, the report highlights that an attack by an insider (employees and others with access) can result in anything from the loss of service or proprietary information to severe health consequences. Summarized within the report are findings and policy recommendations to help mitigate this growing danger to the nation's critical infrastructures.
To download the report, click here.
AMWA Testifies on Federal Chemical Security Regulations
On June 12, 2008 AMWA testified before the House Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials that local water system managers are best equipped to decide the most appropriate treatment methods for disinfecting water and protecting public health.
To download the testimony, click here.
Roadmap to Secure Control Systems in the Water Sector Now Available
The report, prepared by the Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC) Cyber Security Working Group (CSWG), is intended to help water and wastewater operators identify and address industrial control systems (ICS) security.
To download the report, click here (login required).
Water Facility Security Survey: Results Summary Released
Last October, AMWA joined with five other water and wastewater organizations to conduct a survey of security protections employed at the nation's water plants. A summary of the survey results is now available for members to review.
To download the survey results summary, click here (login required).
Gaseous Chlorine Webcast: Summary and Additional Resources
Last June, AMWA hosted a webcast entitled “Gaseous Chlorine and Its Alternatives.” The webcast features presentations by managers of several AMWA member utilities detailing their experiences in replaciGasasng gaseous chlorine with alternative treatments.
A CD recording of the webcast, which includes a complete audio slide recording, all Powerpoint slides from each presentation and speaker biographies, is available for purchase. (login required)
Additional Resources:
Water Sector Pandemic Flu Guideline
DHS has developed a Sector-specific Pandemic Guideline for the drinking water and wastewater sector. Though coordinated through the Water and Government Sector Coordinating Councils, DHS bounded the scope and Guidance of the document.
A draft-final version of the water sector guideline is now available for download and distribution. Once finalized, the document will be included as a new Annex to the 2006 Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Guide for Criteria Infrastructure and Key Resources.
To download the document click here (login required).
To view the WSCC’s letter to DHS regarding the guidance click here (login required).
Download the DHS Sector Specific Plan for Water Security
After a six-month federal review, the Department of Homeland Security recently announced the completion of all 17 Sector-Specific Plans (SSPs) in support of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. The Water SSP outlines the sector’s vision, security goals, protective programs, research priorities, and the processes for creating a security performance measurement system and prioritizing critical assets. Columbus Water Works President Billy Turner led the water sector's effort to help write the plan.
As established by the SSP, the water sector’s security vision “is a secure and resilient drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that provides clean and safe water as an integral part of daily life.” The vision “assures the economic vitality of and public confidence in the nation’s drinking water and wastewater through a layered defense of effective preparedness and security practices in the sector.”
The SSP also identifies the following sector security goals:
- sustain protection of the public health and environment;
- recognize and reduce risks in the water sector;
- maintain a resilient infrastructure; and
- increase communication, outreach, and public confidence.
Download the Water SSP.
RAMCAP Water Sector Vulnerability Assessment Tool Project
What is RAMCAP?
RAMCAP stands for Risk Analysis and Management for Critical Asset Protection. It is a project of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is intended to provide a framework for analyzing and managing the risks associated with all hazards against water sector infrastructure.
RAMCAP strives to provide a consistent and technically sound methodology to identify, analyze, quantify and communicate the various characteristics and impacts that may lead terrorists to select a particular target and engage in a specific form of attack. It documents a process for identifying security vulnerabilities and provides methods to evaluate the options for improving these weaknesses. LEARN MORE
Download a Copy of Effective Risk and Crisis Communication During Water Security Emergencies
EPA has yet to obtain sufficient copies of Risk and Crisis Communication During Water Security Emergencies to provide hard copies for AMWA members. Sufficient copies are not expected until mid-June and AMWA will forward the copies as soon as available. In the interim, AMWA members may download a copy here.
Published by EPA, the document, Effective Risk and Crisis Communication During Water Security Emergencies, provides an easy to follow, step-by-step guide on message mapping for water sector utilities. Message mapping is a specific technique for developing effective verbal or written communication to deliver to the public and the media during a crisis.
The report outlines the background, benefits and steps to message mapping and details techniques for developing effective crisis messages. The products provided in the report include lists of potential questions that could be asked in a crisis and message maps developed for a subset of anticipated questions from each scenario. The scenarios were: possible chemical contamination of a reservoir, bomb explosion, credible threat of an unknown agent in a certain location, loss of power affecting water delivery systems, pesticide contamination and biological contamination.
The report also includes a list of stakeholders who will need information during a water sector incident as defined by workshop participants, and a list of several general rules of risk communication developed by Dr. Vincent Covello, the report’s primary author.
Dr. Covello is an internationally renowned risk communications expert and the director of the Center for Risk Communication in New York City. He is a prolific author and has consulted for several hundred public and private sector organizations, including CDC, the Department of Defense and the World Health Organization on topics including bioterrorism, SARS, and pandemic flu. Dr. Covello provided his expertise and insights to AMWA members at the 2006 Annual Meeting, and he will be with us again at this year’s Annual Meeting in Seattle to provide additional insights and techniques for communicating risk to the media and to the public.
"Toxic Trains" Report Enters Chlorine Gas Debate
The Center for American Progress recently released a report entitled “Toxic Trains and the Terrorist Threat: How Water Utilities Can Get Chlorine Gas Off the Rails and Out of American Communities.” The report outlines some potential public health dangers associated with using rail cars to transport gaseous chlorine.
New Security Measure Development Effort Under Way
In January, the Water Sector Coordinating Council and Government Coordinating Council formed a joint Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) Metrics Workgroup to develop a national security performance measurement system for the water sector. The group’s first meeting was held on March 13-14.
Read the workgroup’s charter and/or view a metric’s ppt outline regarding how this effort fits in with previous measurement work and the Sector-Specific Plan (login required).
Business Continuity Planning the Event of a Flu Pandemic
AMWA has prepared a document, entitled Business Continuity Planning in the Event of an Influenza Pandemic: A Reference Guide (PDF, login required), to help water systems prepare for the possibility of a flu pandemic and the business interruptions it would cause. The document outlines basic assumptions or parameters that could be used for situational planning in addition to a checklist that identifies specific activities a utility could use to prepare for a pandemic..
Presidential Panel Reports on Resource Prioritization in a Pandemic Outbreak
The National Infrastructure Advisory Council’s (NIAC) recently released report on national plans for a pandemic flu outbreak is now available. The NIAC contends that failure to maintain a healthy critical infrastructure workforce could result in the nationwide loss of clean drinking water, electricity, fuel distribution, air and ground transportation, food production and many other catastrophic effects. According to the report titled National Infrastructure Advisory Council Final Report and Recommendations: The Prioritization of Critical Infrastructure for a Pandemic Outbreak in the United States (login required), the water sector (all drinking water and wastewater systems) would require more than 600,000 critical employees to work during a pandemic.
Measures Testing Group Issues Final Recommendations To EPA
EPA’s Measures Testing Group (MTG) recently issued its final recommendations to the agency on how to evaluate options for implementing the national aggregate measures of water security recommended by the National Drinking Water Advisory Council Water Security Working Group (NDWAC/WSWG).
A key aggregate measure is implementation of “active and effective” security programs as measured by the degree of implementation of the NDWAC/WSWG’s 14 program features and corresponding feature-specific measures. Highlights from the MTG’s report, Findings of the Measures Testing Group for National Aggregate Measures of Water Security, include a detailed listing of reporting options related to data collection for each national aggregate measure; reporting structures and timeframes; and verification, accompanied by corresponding strengths and weaknesses.
Quick Reference Guide for the National Response Plan.
 |
This is a great, 27 page primer for the National response Plan giving the Where?, What?, When?, How? and Why?
The NRP establishes a single, comprehensive approach that the federal government follows for domestic incident management to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. (View/Download PDF File).
|
Water Security Practices, Incentives and Measures ("14 Features")
This guidance, better known as the 14 Features of an Active and Effective Security Program - provides the recommendations of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council. It includes a checklist of the features and measures of an active and effective security program. (View/Download PDF File, login required).
Key Guidance Documents for Water and Wastewater Facilities
 |
Interim Voluntary Security Guidance For Wastewater/Stormwater Utilities
The purpose of this document is to provide a centralized starting point for utilities as they integrate modern security practices into the operation, construction, or retrofit of their wastewater systems (login required).
|
 |
Interim Voluntary Guidelines for Designing an Online Contaminant Monitoring System
This guideline is focused on the design of online contamination monitoring systems (OCMSs) for both water supply and wastewater/stormwater systems. This guidance is an initial step in an ongoing effort to develop the most effective, real-time OCMS possible (login required).
|
 |
Interim Voluntary Security Guidance For Water Utilities
The purpose of this document is to provide water systems with an initial guide to the design of new facilities or the re-design or retrofit of existing facilities to create better physical security and reduce risk to the public water supply. To protect the public water supply, this guidance emphasizes the management and operations of the facilities and the facility design considerations that can make theinstallation and upgrade of physical security systems easier to implement (login required).
|
Water and Wastewater System Interdependencies with the Power Sector: Lessons Learned from the 2003 Power Outage (PDF download, login required).
The tie between the power and water sectors is one of the key infrastructure interdependencies currently under study with regard to ameliorating terrorist threats as well as weather and natural disaster impacts. This study provides recommendations and lessons learned by AMWA members during a major regional power outage in 2003.
Other useful links:
Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC)
