EPA Announces Over $1.1M to Help Protect Drinking Water in Denver from Cyberattacks and Extreme Weather Events

DENVER  - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $1,125,000 in grant funding for Denver Water to help protect them from cybersecurity threats and improve resiliency against extreme weather events. This funding, through the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program, will affirm EPA's commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to clean and safe drinking water. 

"American families, businesses, and schools rely on their local drinking water system to provide clean and safe water, day-in and day-out. 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. 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." 

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. At the same time, water infrastructure must have built-in resiliency to withstand natural hazards, such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes and flooding so they can continue their mission to deliver safe water uninterrupted to the communities they serve. 

"Here on the arid Front Range, wildfires, floods and other hazards are a looming risk to our precious water resources," said EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western. "This EPA grant will help ensure the state's largest public drinking water system can reliably provide a safe, secure source of water to Denverites, even in the face of Colorado's extreme weather."

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. EPA anticipates awarding federal grants to the Denver-area drinking water system after legal and administrative requirements are satisfied: 

• 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. 

This funding is another way EPA is partnering with federal agencies, states and the water sector to strengthen cybersecurity in the water sector. Last year, EPA proactively identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities at 277 water systemsExit EPA's website 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. This work is continuing today. The agency also released new and updated planning toolsExit EPA's website that water systems across the country can use to help prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents. EPA provides free cybersecurity technical assistanceExit EPA's website, assessments, training and tools to help systems improve their cyber defenses. These resources and more are accessible on the EPA water sector cybersecurity websiteExit EPA's website.

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 on the EPA website.