NAWC Statement on Water System Cyber Attacks

Statement from NAWC President and CEO Robert F. Powelson:

"Critical infrastructure is squarely in the sights of international threat actors seeking to disrupt essential services with the water sector as a prime target.

Cybersecurity preparedness across the nation's water and wastewater systems varies widely. While more than 90% of National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) members have comprehensive cybersecurity plans in place, many utilities lack even basic protections. The absence of uniform cybersecurity standards leaves too many systems vulnerable as we are seeing play out in real time.

NAWC continues to urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to authorize a Water Risk and Resilience Organization to advise the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on developing, implementing, and enforcing cybersecurity requirements tailored to the evolving and ongoing threats facing drinking water and wastewater systems.

Protecting these systems is essential to public health, economic stability, and national security. As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, Congress and the federal government must act to strengthen cybersecurity across the entire water and wastewater sector and safeguard the communities that depend on it."