The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) is developing the web-based
Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC) to provide early warning of
potential physical, contamination and cyber threats in a secure environment to U.S.
water and wastewater utilities. The WaterISAC, however, is being designed to provide
a much broader set of products and services on water security. For instance, the
WaterISAC will provide an array of information and tools to assist utilities in identifying
and assessing threats, taking measures to mitigate those threats and analyzing incident
reports. The WaterISAC will also provide an important link between the water
community and federal government agencies that will enable secure sharing of
information. Ultimately, with the participation and involvement of water and wastewater
systems across the nation, the WaterISAC will become a clearinghouse of information
that will encompass collaborative tools for utilities, law enforcement officials and
emergency responders to effectively and efficiently share information in a secure
environment. AMWA has targeted December 2002 as the official roll out of the
WaterISAC.
Water utilities must protect their critical facilities from terrorist and other threats because
the provision of drinking water is fundamental to the health and economic prosperity of
communities across the nation. Water utilities are essential to maintaining the public's
health, as well as the public's trust and confidence in a safe and reliable supply of
water. Because of this responsibility, water utilities are on the front line for defending
critical water facilities.
To protect against possible threats, water utilities will be conducting vulnerability
assessments of their systems, performing upgrades to enhance security and improving
emergency response planning. Water utilities will use a number of resources to achieve
these objectives. For example, water systems are encouraged to develop contacts and
relationships with their local law enforcement and local FBI office. In addition, many
communities have Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC). The intent of the
WaterISAC is to supplement and enhance these efforts for water systems.
The purpose of this paper is to inform the U.S. water community of the objectives and
scope of the WaterISAC. The success of the WaterISAC is dependent on the active
participation by U.S. water and wastewater systems. Includes figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 800 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 11 |
| Published : | 11/01/2002 |
