Access Control
& Security Systems

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft put water utilities on notice that enforcing Safe Drinking Water Act security provisions is a top government priority, prompting American Water Works Association (AWWA) executive director Jack Hoffbuhr to underscore extensive efforts undertaken by the nation's water suppliers to meet federal security deadlines.

In a March 11 press conference, Ashcroft highlighted the Justice Department's focus on enforcing environmental laws aimed at protecting public water supplies, chemical plants and hazardous materials from terrorist threats, warning that criminal charges will be considered if appropriate.

"Water utilities throughout the nation have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure costs including water monitoring, physical security systems, and emergency training and planning to protect America's water supplies from terrorism," Hoffbuhr says. "Water utilities are always committed to delivering safe drinking water to the American public and take this responsibility seriously."

The Public Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Act, invoked after the Sept. 11 attacks, mandates that America's largest water systems (serving more than 100,000 persons) meet vulnerability assessments by March 31, 2003.

While many drinking water systems have either met or are working to meet the March 31st federal deadline to prepare vulnerability assessments and update their emergency response plans, the vast majority of the nation's public water systems serve populations of fewer than 100,000 people. Collectively, the AWWA estimates that more than $450 million in federal assistance is required for these assessments. Medium-sized systems (serving between 50,000 and 100,000 people) have until December 31, 2003 to meet the federal deadline and the small-sized systems (serving 3,300 to 50,000 people) have until June 30, 2004. Updated emergency response plans are due six months after the vulnerability assessments are completed.

Hundreds of water utility executives and security experts from throughout America will discuss best practice efforts and funding challenges to securing the nation's water supply at the AWWA Water Security Congress, to be held March 23-26, 2003 in Los Angeles. United States EPA Administrator Christie Whitman is scheduled to speak. For more information on the conference, visit www.awwa.org/education/congress/

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