The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released an update to the Water and Wastewater Sector-Specific Plan (SSP), which identifies, at a high level, risks to the nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems and outlines strategies and activities at the national level for enhancing security and resilience in the sector.
The SSP was developed in coordination with the Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC) and the Government Coordinating Council (GCC). The WSCC comprises utility representatives appointed by the national water and wastewater associations and research foundations. The GCC comprises representatives from EPA, DHS, other federal agencies and state drinking water administrators. By presidential order, SSPs are required of all 17 national critical infrastructure sectors and align with the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.
In addition to summarizing the operations and criticality of water and wastewater services, the SSP ranks security and resilience risks to the sector and identifies the partners and authorities involved in security and resilience. The SSP also provides the sector’s vision statement, goals, objectives, timelines and metrics. More information about the sector’s security and resilience priorities is available in the WSCC/GCC’s Roadmap to a Secure and Resilient Water Sector (2013).