EPA’s Role

in Water Security 

Research

The Water Security Research

and Technical Support Action Plan

“We are... taking signifi cant steps to 

strengthen our homeland protections 

— securing cockpits, tightening our borders, 

stockpiling vaccines, increasing security at 

water treatment and nuclear power plants.”

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

JUNE 6, 2002

EPA/600/R-04/037

August 2004

Recycled/Recyclable

Printed with vegetable-based ink on

paper that contains a minimum of

50% post-consumer fi ber content

processed chlorine free

United States Environmental Protection Agency

Offi ce of Research and Development

National Homeland Security Research Center

Offi ce of Water

Water Security Division
Introduction

Water — every drop of it — is a precious natural resource that 

Americans once enjoyed with little thought to potential tampering by 

terrorists or others. Today, however, U. S. citizens are increasingly aware 

of threats of harm to our homeland. The terrorist attacks of September 

11, 2001, and the delivery of anthrax-contaminated letters later that year 

have taught us to anticipate that other such threats are possible. 

Terrorist threats are targeted not just at individuals, but also at the 

country’s vital institutions and infrastructure, including drinking water 

and wastewater systems. To combat such threats, it is essential that 

government agencies, water utilities, state 

and local water agencies, public health 

organizations, emergency and follow-up 

responders, academia, and the private sector 

from across the country be ready to protect 

our water infrastructure. These entities are 

working together to reduce vulnerabilities to 

terrorism, prevent and prepare for terrorist 

attacks, minimize public health effects 

and infrastructure damage, and enhance 

recovery from any attacks that may occur.

EPA’s Water Security Role

As the lead federal agency for protecting the nation’s drinking water 

and wastewater infrastructure, the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) plays a critical role in homeland security. Agency 

support for water system protection is multifaceted. Much of the work 

accomplished by EPA over the past several decades in such areas as 

emergency response, risk assessment, hazardous waste cleanup, drinking 

water and wastewater treatment, and water quality monitoring is 

being applied to water security. Many of the current Agency activities 

supporting water infrastructure protection are conducted by the Offi ce 

of Research and Development’s National Homeland Security Research 

Center (NHSRC) and the Offi ce of Water’s Water Security Division 

(WSD), both of which were initiated after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. 

These organizations work together to provide research and technical 

support to the drinking water and wastewater sectors.

1
The National Homeland Security Research Center oversees three 

major research areas: Water Security, Rapid Risk Assessment, 

and Safe Buildings. The Center’s Water Security Team is 

conducting research to increase the understanding of public 

health and environmental impacts from various kinds of water 

infrastructure attacks. This understanding, when integrated 

into water security practices, leads to improved awareness, 

preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery from intentional 

acts against water systems. The Team is producing analytical 

tools and procedures, technology evaluations, models and 

methodologies, decontamination techniques, technical resource 

guides and protocols, and risk assessment methods. All of these 

products are for use by EPA’s key water infrastructure customers 

—water utility operators, public health officials, and emergency 

and follow-up responders.

The Water Security Division supports drinking water and 

wastewater utilities by preparing vulnerability assessment and 

emergency response tools and training, providing technical 

and financial assistance, and developing information exchange 

mechanisms. The Division has provided training and financial 

assistance to water utilities for assessing their security 

vulnerabilities and developing emergency response plans for 

dealing with potential terrorist attacks. WSD is also charged 

with supporting best security practices, providing security 

enhancement guidance, and incorporating security into the 

day-to-day operations of drinking water and wastewater 

utilities. In addition, the Water Security Division works closely 

with NHSRC in delivering research results in a timely and 

appropriate fashion.

Along with providing research and technical support, both 

the Water Security Division and the National Homeland 

Security Research Center encourage information sharing and 

risk communication strategies among key water infrastructure 

stakeholders. This includes making use of the Water Information 

Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC), a comprehensive 

online resource of security information for drinking and 

wastewater utilities managed by the Association of Metropolitan 

Water Agencies (www.waterisac.org).

23
The Water Security Research and Technical 

Support Action Plan

To enhance its working knowledge of water industry security 

problems in the U.S., EPA has engaged numerous water experts and 

stakeholders from government, industry, and academia. Other key 

participants are representatives from public health organizations, 

emergency responders and follow-up responders, law enforcement 

offi cials, environmental groups, and related professional associations. 

EPA has held meetings with these experts and stakeholders to gain 

their insights on the vulnerabilities and technical challenges facing 

the water industry for which research and technical support are 

crucial. With assistance from other federal agencies and contractors, 

both the Water Security Division and the National Homeland 

Security Research Center are addressing these challenges. Issues, 

needs, and projects are summarized in the comprehensive Water 

Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan, hereafter referred 

to as the Action Plan. The Action Plan is available on the web at 

www.epa.gov/nhsrc and www.epa.gov/watersecurity.

The Action Plan addresses drinking water supply, water treatment, 

fi nished water storage, and drinking water distribution system 

infrastructure. It also covers wastewater treatment and collection 

infrastructure, including sanitary and storm sewers or combined 

sanitary-storm sewer systems, wastewater treatment, and treated 

wastewater discharges.

Work described in the Action Plan is ongoing and EPA will periodically 

update the plan as new information on threats, contaminants, and 

threat situations is developed. 

Action Plan Issues

Results from federal partner and water stakeholder meetings are 

organized in the Action Plan under the seven issues listed below. Each 

issue describes signifi cant research needs with specifi c projects listed for 

each need. Although the Action Plan focuses primarily on biological, 

chemical, and radiological contaminants in drinking water systems, it 

also addresses physical and cyber threats, contingency planning, risk 

assessment, risk communication, and infrastructure interdependencies. 

 Protecting drinking water systems from physical and cyber threats

 Identifying drinking water threats, contaminants, and threat 

scenarios

 Improving analytical methodologies and monitoring systems for 

drinking water

 Containing, treating, decontaminating, and disposing of 

contaminated water and materials

 Planning for contingencies and addressing infrastructure 

interdependencies

 Targeting effects on human health and informing the public about 

risks

 Protecting wastewater treatment and collection systems

The Action Plan takes the following approach to address these issues 

and deliver products:

 Enhance collaborative research and technical support

 Provide for technology advancement through testing, evaluation, 

and verifi cation

 Share information in both secure and open fashions

4 5

�����

��������� �����

�������

�����

������

���������

��������������

�������

�����������

�����

���������

������������

�����

�����

������ ��������� ������������ ��������������� ���������

Modified from a graphic provided by Sandia National Laboratories
Research and Technical Support in the Context of EPA’s Water Security Program

Water Security

Program

Financial

Assistance

Incorporating Security

Into the Water Business

Emergency

Response

Training

Research and

Technical Support

Tools and

Protocols

Information

Exchange
8 9

Key Research and Technical Support Needs

Partners and stakeholders have identifi ed the following key research 

and technical support needs to enhance protection of existing water 

infrastructure, including security against cyber attacks and other ways 

to disrupt water systems:

 Identify and characterize threats that could be used to disrupt 

water systems

 Develop methods for detecting and monitoring contaminants in 

water

 Create rapid screening technologies for the identifi cation of 

unknown contaminants

 Improve detectors and early warning systems for water 

distribution and collection systems

 Enhance models for contaminant transport in pipes and 

distribution systems

 Test and evaluate the performance of sensors and biomonitors

 Refi ne fate 

and transport 

information for 

contaminants in 

water

 Develop treatment 

or inactivation 

techniques for water 

contaminants

 Evaluate 

and improve 

decontamination and 

disposal techniques for contaminated materials and equipment 

 Establish contingency planning and infrastructure backup 

procedures

 Improve methods for assessing risks to the public from water 

contamination

 Enhance risk communication and information sharing among 

individuals and organizations dealing with a threat or attack

 Provide training and exercises that enhance preparedness, 

response, and mitigation to water system threats or attacks 

Projects Underway

EPA has begun projects that address key issues contained in the 

Action Plan, including the following: 

 State-of-the-art review of early warning systems 

 Tracer studies guide for use by water utilities of various sizes

 Treatability guide for biological contaminants in water

 State-of-the-science review of emerging detection technologies 

for water contaminants 

 Performance review of routinely used water quality monitors

 Case studies to assist in rapid access to alternative water sources
10 11

existing strengths, share the workload, and take advantage of related 

research already underway. 

An example of such partnerships is the Distribution System 

Research Consortium formed by the National Homeland Security 

Research Center and the Water Security Division. The consortium 

is comprised of 15 federal and non-federal organizations that meet 

twice a year to advance research and technical support focused on 

distribution systems. 

EPA’s research and technical support activities will result in various 

types of products, tools, and technologies made available to the water 

industry, public health offi cials, health care providers, emergency 

responders, appointed and elected offi cials, and others to aid in the 

fi ght against terrorism. 

Information Sharing

Work in progress is shared with key water security stakeholders and 

the public in open forums such as journals, Web sites, and meetings. 

If the information is sensitive, it is provided using more limited 

venues such as the WaterISAC. EPA information clearinghouses, 

Action Plan Products

The challenges facing 

EPA in securing water 

infrastructure are 

interdependent and 

complex. The goal of the 

Action Plan is to provide 

useful and timely products 

to key water infrastructure 

customers that help 

protect drinking water 

and wastewater systems. 

To accomplish this goal, 

EPA is partnering with 

other federal agencies, 

national laboratories, nongovernmental water industry 

research groups, and the 

private sector to build on 

 Computerized data compendiums

 Response guides and protocols

 Technical resource documents, case studies, and model 

procedures

 Laboratory methods and protocols

 Communication tools and frameworks

 Technology screening, evaluation, and verifi cation

 Workshops and training

 Computerized tools and software systems

 Risk assessment methods and procedures

 Journal articles, fact sheets, and technical bulletins

Key Customer Products

 Preliminary framework for communicating threats and attacks on 

water systems

 Tools to address water infrastructure interdependencies

 State-of-the-science review of the impacts of biologically 

produced toxins on water systems 

 Protocols and devices to concentrate and analyze water for 

biological contaminants

 Test matrix and state-of-the-knowledge technical reports on six 

biological/biochemical surrogates 

 Preliminary treatability database for treatment technique 

effectiveness in removing water contaminants

 Feasibility study for warnings and alerts based on public 

health surveillance reporting of disease indicators (syndromic 

surveillance)

 Performance verifi cations of monitoring, treatment, and 

decontamination technologies’ effectiveness
Conclusion 

As the federal lead for water infrastructure security, EPA draws 

upon its long history of environmental protection to develop new 

tools and technologies that address potential attacks on drinking 

water and wastewater systems. The critical research described 

in the Water Security Research and Technical Support Action Plan

is improving awareness, preparedness, prevention, response, and 

recovery from threats or attacks against water systems.

booths at conferences and workshops, and announcements and press 

releases are used to deliver Action Plan results as well. 

A listing of all publicly available interim research products are 

available on NHSRC’s Web site at: www.epa.gov/nhsrc. An Internetbased catalog with publicly available products from both WSD and 

NHSRC is located on the WSD Web site at: 

www.epa.gov/watersecurity.

 Water industry representatives

 State, regional, and local response organizations

 Public health offi cials and organizations

 Federal agencies and departments

 Laboratories with water sample testing capabilities

 Academia and consulting fi rms

 Elected offi cials and the public

Information Users

12 13
14

Additional information may be obtained through the 

National Homeland Security Research Center’s Web site:

www.epa.gov/nhsrc

and the

Water Security Division’s Web site:

www.epa.gov/watersecurity

The Water Security Research 

and Technical Support Action 

Plan (shown above) is 

available for downloading at 

www.epa.gov/nhsrc and 

www.epa.gov/watersecurity
visit us on the web at:

www.epa.gov/nhsrc

and

www.epa.gov/watersecurity

PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

EPA

PERMIT No. G-35

Office of Research and DevelopmentNational Homeland Security Research CenterCincinnati, OH 45268Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use$300EPA/600/R-04/037August 2004

Please make all necessary changes on the below label, detach or copy, and return to the address in the upper left-hand corner. If you do not wish to receive these reports CHECK HERE ; detach, or copy the cover, and return to the address in the upper left-hand corner.