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About the Water Security Division
Our Divison
The Security Assistance Branch supports initiatives to develop tools and technical assistance, manages grants to support security initiatives of water utilities (drinking water and wastewater), state drinking water agencies, and technical assistance providers, provides liaisons to the Department of Homeland Security in support of HSPD 7, handles the receipt of vulnerability assessments and emergency response plan certifications as required by the Bioterrorism Act, and develops outreach materials and supports information sharing initiatives.
The Threats Analysis, Prevention, & Preparedness Branch develops emergency response and incident planning tools and guidance, and emergency response planning workshops, funds and manages the development of research and technology tools in coordination with other agencies and EPA's National Homeland Security Research Center, and works to develop laboratory capabilities and monitoring and detection for drinking water systems under HSPD 9.
Goal
It is the goal of EPA's Water Security Division to work with the states, tribes, drinking water and wastewater utilities, and other partners to enhance the security of water and wastewater utilities and the ability to respond effectively to security threats and breaches. The tactics EPA will use to meet this goal include the following:
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Working with the water sector to develop measurable goals for critical water infrastructure protection efforts, using available information sources to analyze water sector security activities against appropriate measures, and revising approaches and actions as necessary.
- Continuing to provide assistance on security-related issues to the water sector and others that support or rely on the sector, and ensuring that such assistance reflects the most up-to-date information.
- Developing tools to better prevent, detect, protect against, mitigate, and/or recover from potential physical, cyber, chemical, biological, and radiological attacks on water utilities. EPA will prioritize the development of technical support based on the water sector's top vulnerabilities.
Mandates The Homeland Security Presidential Directives  designate EPA as the sector specific agency responsible for infrastructure protection activities for the nation's drinking water and wastewater systems. To support water utilities as they take action to prepare for and respond to terrorist acts, EPA's Water Security Division was formed to coordinate and oversee security-related issues. The Division has two branches: Security Assistance and Threats Analysis, Prevention, and Preparedness.
By implementing the Homeland Security Presidential Directives and the Bioterrorism Act, the government acknowledged the need for drinking water systems to take a comprehensive view of water safety and security. Accordingly, water utilities are working to recognize and reduce their vulnerabilities to potential threats and to lessen the impacts of potential terrorist attacks or other contamination incidents on water systems and the nation's drinking water supply.
Partnerships
Coordination, integration, and exchange of information among stakeholder groups are vital to accomplishing EPA's water security goals. Many public and private sector entities have a stake in the security of the nation's water systems. Acknowledging the expanding challenges of water security, EPA builds on its well established relationships with such partners. Overview of EPA's Water Security History
- May 1998 - Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 63 is issued. It stresses the importance of protecting the critical infrastructure that supports the U.S. economy, government, and military. The Agency is designated the lead for the protection of the nation's critical water infrastructure and starts working on the development of vulnerability assessments.
- October 2001 - The Agency forms the Water Protection Task Force, now the Water Security Division (WSD).
- October 2001 - EPA supports the development of security-related tools and training and the Water Information Sharing Analysis Center for water sector utilities.
- FY 2002 - budget $2 million
- January 2002 - EPA receives supplemental funding for tools and training and direct support for utilities and states and starts research activities.
- FY 2002 Supplemental - $89 million
- June 2002 - The Bioterrorism Act requires community drinking water systems that serve populations of more than 3,300 persons to conduct vulnerability assessments and prepared or upgrade emergency response plans.
- October 2002 - EPA continues outreach, training, and tool development to help better protect the water sector and continues research activities.
- FY 2003 - budget $20 million
- October 2003 - EPA continues outreach, training, and tool development to help better protect the water sector and increases research activities.
- FY 2004 - budget is $30 million for WSD
- FY 2004 - budget is $10 million for drinking water security initiatives for Office of Research and Development [ORD])
- Late 2003 / Early 2004 - White House issues Homeland Security Presidential Directives, listed below, which reaffirm EPA as the lead for the protection of the nation's critical water sector infrastructure.
- Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-7 (Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection - December 17, 2003)
- Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-8 (National Preparedness - December 17, 2003)
- Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-9 (Defense of United States Agriculture and Food - January 30, 2004)
- Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-10 (Biodefense for the 21st Century - April 24, 2004)
- Presidential Budget Request 2004 - EPA continues its efforts based on stakeholder and customer feedback. Implementation based on availability of funds.
- FY 2005 - proposed budget is $11 million (for WSD)
- FY 2005 - proposed budget for drinking water security initiatives is $10 million (for ORD)
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