Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States there has been
a renewed interest by various organizations to evaluate appropriate security measures to
prepare for the threat of additional acts of terrorism. Acts of terrorism directed at
drinking water utilities have been reported previously. In response to these attacks the
water industry has been directed to develop vulnerability assessment plans. In general,
these plans focus on evaluating points of system vulnerability to terrorist attack via
destruction of facilities or by introduction of contaminants into the system. While many
water agencies have existing emergency response plans to address catastrophic events
(e.g., floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc.) they typically do not focus on terrorist events
involving intentional contamination with chemical, biological or radiological agents.
Consequently, many utilities require external assistance from organizations with
experience in developing security plans. Generally, these agencies have expertise in
measures to protect against destruction of facilities but frequently lack expertise to
evaluate chemical, biological, or radiological agents that might be used to contaminate
drinking water systems. Indeed, this type of expertise is typically limited to the military
or select government organizations. However, current events have necessitated
dissemination of this information, but due to the classified nature of this issue it is
extremely difficult for water agencies to acquire information on contaminants of concern.
Furthermore, detection methods for several of these contaminants are extremely complex
or may not be readily available to most laboratories. Consequently, development of
effective monitoring and analytical strategies to complement vulnerability assessment
plans is challenging. However, water utilities with laboratory facilities can implement
intervention strategies but must address a number of critical issues. Includes 2 references.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 230 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 9 |
| Published : | 11/01/2002 |
