Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023

To establish a program to increase drinking water and wastewater system threat preparedness and resilience, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023 2. Program establishment (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Community water system The term community water system 42 U.S.C. 300f (2) Natural hazard The term natural hazard 42 U.S.C. 300i–2(h) (3) Treatment works The term treatment works 33 U.S.C. 1292 (4) Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center The term Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center 42 U.S.C. 300i–4(d) (b) Establishment Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall develop and carry out a program— (1) to encourage, support, and maintain the participation of community water systems, treatment works, and other appropriate entities in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center; (2) to offset costs incurred by community water systems and treatment works that are necessary to maintain or initiate membership in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center; (3) to expand the cooperation and coordination of the Environmental Protection Agency with the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center with respect to incident data collection and analysis of water sector-related threats; and (4) to enhance the tools, resources, and materials of the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center for— (A) monitoring the status of the water sector; and (B) enhancing the preparedness of community water systems and publicly owned treatment works to identify, protect against, detect, respond to, and recover from malevolent acts (within the meaning of section 1433 of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300i–2 (c) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 and 2025, to remain available until expended.

Summary: Water System Threat Preparedness and Resilience Act of 2023 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a program to support increased membership and involvement of certain smaller water utilities and water treatment works (e.g., wastewater systems) in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC). As background, WaterISAC is a group of water and wastewater systems and associations that coordinate with the EPA and other federal agencies to collect and analyze data on water security and threats. WaterISAC also provides analysis and resources to support response, mitigation, and resilience initiatives. Under the bill, the EPA must develop a program to encourage and support WaterISAC membership by community water systems (e.g., public water systems that regularly serve at least 25 year-round residents) and water treatment works, offset membership dues for community water systems and water treatment works, cooperate and coordinate with WaterISAC to expand incident data collection and analysis of threats related to the water sector, and enhance WaterISAC's tools and resources for monitoring the water sector and increase the preparedness of community water systems and publicly owned water treatment works to identify and respond to malevolent acts or natural hazards.