Recent events have created a heightened awareness of security surrounding the nation's critical infrastructure, including its drinking water and wastewater systems. These systems are potentially vulnerable to different kinds of natural disasters and terrorist threats. EPA has developed a series of Security Product Guides to assist treatment plant operators and utility managers in reducing risks from, and providing protection against, possible natural disasters and intentional terrorist attacks.
These guides provide information on a variety of products:
- Physical security (such as walls, gates, and manhole locks to delay unauthorized entry into buildings or pipe systems)
- Electronic or cyber security (such as computer firewalls and remote monitoring systems that can report on outlying processes)
- Monitoring tools that can be used to identify anomalies in process streams or finished water that may represent potential threats.
Individual products evaluated in these guides will be applicable to distribution systems, wastewater collection systems, pumping stations, treatment processes, main plant and remote sites, personnel entry, chemical delivery and storage, SCADA, and control systems for water and wastewater treatment systems.
EPA has a webpage that will be updated at regular intervals to ensure that the most recent information on security technologies is available. New product guides will be added as they are developed. Users should check back frequently for the latest updates.