Cybersecurity Tips for Water and Wastewater Utilities

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! The water sector can protect its infrastructure, maintain public trust, and ensure the safety and reliability of its services by prioritizing cybersecurity. U.S. EPA has provided some tips on how to avoid cybersecurity threats and keep your utility secure. These tips are outlined below:

​Passwords

Passwords should be at least 12 characters long, unique for each account, and complex. To make a secure password you should incorporate a mix of uppercase & lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. 

If your passwords meet these criteria, they generally only need to be changed if they are compromised. It can be challenging to remember multiple passwords, so use a password manager to help.

Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA involves using multiple methods to verify a user’s identity, going beyond a simple login. Verification methods can include something you know, such as a password or PIN; something you are, like a fingerprint or facial scan; and something you have, like a key card or security token.

Phishing

Phishing occurs when criminals use fake emails or social media posts to trick users into clicking on malicious links, which can then install malware onto the system. 

To identify phishing attempts, ask yourself: Is it too good to be true? Does it request personal information? Does the sender’s email address match who they claim to represent? Are there any spelling or grammar errors?

If you detect a phishing attempt, report it to your IT manager or security team as quickly as possible. Do not click on any links, delete the email, and use the “Report Phishing” function in your email (if available.)

Update Software

Updating software, or patching, involves installing updates released by the manufacturer to close known vulnerabilities and provide the latest features. Enabling automatic updates ensures updates are installed as soon as they are released, though a system restart is usually required. If automatic updates aren’t possible, regularly check for updates manually and create a schedule to make this a habit.

Be cautious of fake update pop-ups that urgently demand downloads, as these can lead to malware. If you encounter such pop-ups, run a scan to check for malware.

By implementing these cybersecurity tips, you can significantly enhance your protection against cyber threats. Remember, staying informed and vigilant is key to safeguarding your utility.

The Importance of Preparedness for Water and Wastewater Systems

National Preparedness Month (NPM) is observed each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could impact water and wastewater systems. In recognition of NPM, we have linked some valuable resilience resources below. These resources were created by U.S. EPA to help systems better navigate disasters and emergencies.

Develop a Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA)

It's important for utilities to prepare for both natural and human-made disasters by assessing for the greatest risks. Developing a Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA) helps you systematically assess your utility's risks. 

• EPA has two tools to choose from to help you develop an RRA: the Small System RRA Checklist (recommended for small systems) and Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (recommended for large systems.)

Prepare an Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

Once you assess for risks to your utility, the next step is to create an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to outline how you will prepare for, or respond to, the risks identified in your RRA. 

• EPA's ERP Template and Instructions will walk you step-by-step through how to develop your ERP. 
• Read our blog post on WaterOperator.org for more resources on emergency operations and preparing an ERP

Community drinking water systems serving more than 3,300 people are required to have both an RRA and ERP that are updated every five years. However, EPA encourages all water and wastewater systems to plan for disasters they may face by developing an RRA and ERP!

Minimize the Impact of Weather-Related Disasters

EPA’s Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) Storm Surge Inundation Map can help your utility prepare for the effects of a hurricane. The map has been updated to provide the most current information on past and present storms. The “real-time” map shows storm surge projections as advisories are released, complementing the “worst-case” surge projections and enhancing disaster preparedness.

EPA also has a mobile app, Water Utility Response On-The-Go App Plus, that provides information and tools that water utilities can use to prepare for an emergency. Users can track severe weather, contact response partners, and find up-to-date information on local emergencies. Once the disaster has passed, the tool can be used to assess damage and complete incident action checklists.

RCAP's Drop of Knowledge: Article Roundup #5

Drop of Knowledge is a monthly digital article from Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP.) The articles focus on topics like wastewater, drinking water, policy, and infrastructure in rural America. It contains how-to’s, tips, and guidance from more than 300 technical assistance providers (TAPs) across the country. Some featured articles are linked below:

• Pembroke Township Public Water System Training and Assistance for Drinking Water Operators
• Communicating About Lead in Drinking Water
• Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck – GIS Mapping
• Board Relationships: Navigating the Waters of Governance and Operations
• The Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) Helps Island Community Retain Local Water System Ownership
• Big Changes for a Small Water System

Looking for something else? Find more articles and subscribe to A Drop of Knowledge.

Wastewater System Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation Resources | Recorded on August 20, 2024

In this recording of our recent live webinar "Wastewater System Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation Resources" viewers will discover some of the most helpful wastewater system condition assessment and rehabilitation resources and learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events. 

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay.

U.S. EPA's Water Network Tool for Resilience

Researchers from U.S. EPA and Sandia National Laboratories developed the Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR), a "comprehensive scientific software package to help assess a drinking water systems’ resilience to natural disasters. The software improves upon already available capabilities by fully integrating hydraulic and water quality simulation, damage estimates and response actions, and resilience metrics into a single platform. The software is available as an open-source software package and can be applied to a wide range of disruptive incidents and repair strategies." 

Utilities can incorporate WNTR into their existing systems by simulating various scenarios, like power outages or critical pipe breaks, to assess impacts and identify potential repair strategies. WNTR can be utilized in the development of Emergency Response Plans by helping to evaluate and prioritize preparedness strategies and response actions to enhance resilience of the utility. It can also be used to assist in meeting legal requirements, such as those set out in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, by identifying system vulnerabilities and determining mitigation measures.

The Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR) integrates several key features:

• Hydraulic and Water Quality Simulation: WNTR combines hydraulic simulations with water quality analysis to understand how water moves and changes within the distribution system.
• Damage Estimates and Response Actions: It estimates potential damages from disasters, helps utilities to understand how infrastructure damage might occur over time, and evaluates the effectiveness of response actions.
• Resilience Metrics: The tool includes metrics to assess the resilience of water systems under various scenarios.
• Compatibility with EPANET: WNTR is compatible with EPANET, a widely used software for modeling water distribution systems, enhancing its utility and accuracy.

Access the WNTR tool and relevant webinar recordings on U.S. EPA's website.

Emergency Operations and ERPs

Community water systems serving populations greater than 3,300 are required to have a plan in place for emergencies in accordance with America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA) section 2013(b), which amended Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1433(b). According to U.S. EPA, Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) describe "strategies, resources, plans, and procedures utilities can use to prepare for and respond to an incident, natural or man-made, that threatens life, property, or the environment. Incidents can range from small main breaks or localized flooding to large scale hurricanes, earthquakes or system contamination, among other examples." ERPs must outline the steps a system should take to ensure the continuation of service during an emergency. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has provided an O&M Manual Template that can be used as a starting point in developing a manual from scratch or making improvements to existing emergency O&M procedures. 

They also provided the following list of emergency situations and provisions that community water systems need to address in their ERPs: 

• Loss of source
• Loss of water supply due to major component failure
• Damage to power supply equipment or loss of power
• Contamination of water in the distribution system from backflow
• Collapse of a reservoir, reservoir roof or pumphouse structure
• A break in a transmission or distribution line
• Chemical or microbiological contamination of the water supply

Within these sections of your utility's manual, include provisions for providing alternate water, notice procedures for regulatory agencies and users, disinfection and testing techniques, critical component identification, spare parts inventory and staff training in emergency response procedures.

Tap Talk Podcast: Season 4 Recap

With our work here on WaterOperator.org as well as our sister program PrivateWellClass.org, our team has a unique national role that weaves in and out of environmental health, water infrastructure, and public policy. While we use our science backgrounds to get the job done well, our purpose is fundamentally about communication. We want to connect people with information and each other.

Tap Talk: The Drinking Water in Rural America Podcast connects professionals across the drinking water community with ideas to extend and enhance our work

The fourth season was released throughout the spring of 2024 and featured the following 12 episodes:

TT037 – Partnership: The More You Give, The More You Get: Tap Talk hosts Steve and Jennifer Wilson look back on the beginnings of WaterOperator.org, discuss the evolution and expansion of our programs, and the value of our partnerships in helping those we serve.

TT038 – Operator Training: It Takes Skill: We chat with Ramzi Mahmood of the Office of Water Programs at California State University, Sacramento, about what he’s learned from his years of teaching and the future of operator training.

TT039 – RCAP at 50: Building Sustainable Rural Communities: A conversation with RCAP CEO Olga Morales-Pate about the challenges of ensuring the sustainability of rural communities, what it means to be a technical assistance provider, and why passion is the most important part of the job.

TT040 – Be the Champion: Building Knowledge with Informal Communities: Steve and Jennifer talk with Bob Dunlevy of U.S. EPA’s Region 7 about building an understanding of asset management in water utilities and how informal communities can be an essential tool for knowledge building.

TT041 – Data: The Key to Private Well Advocacy: A conversation with Amie Shei from the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts about how data from sampling private wells has been essential to lobbying efforts related to implementing statewide regulations on private well water quality. 

TT042 – Local Solutions: A Key to Growing the Water Workforce (Part 1): We talk about efforts to combat the “silver tsunami” affecting the water workforce with Mike Sullivan, Executive Director of the Northampton Bucks County Municipal Authority; and Shannon Drosnock, Executive Director of the Montgomery Township Municipal Sewer Authority.

TT043 – Local Solutions: A Key to Growing the Water Workforce (Part 2): A continuation of our conversation with Utility Directors from suburban Philadelphia, Mike Sullivan and Shannon Drosnock. In this episode, they talk about the logistics of their internship program, how they appeal to potential participants, and how the model could be duplicated for other utilities across the country.

TT044 – Cybersecurity: Helpful Resources for Small Systems: Our guest Jennifer Lyn Walker, the Director of Infrastructure Cyber Defense for WaterISAC, discusses ways that small utilities can protect themselves from cyberattacks and the growing importance of cybersecurity.

TT045 – Lead Service Line Replacements: Lessons from Cleveland (Part 1): During this episode we talk with Cleveland Water’s Brenda Culler, Lead Program Manager, and Joshua Pecek, Lead Service Line Replacement Work Administrator. We learn about their successful program to replace lead service lines that has landed Cleveland and Cuyahoga County ahead of the LSLR curve.

TT046 – Lead Service Line Replacements: Lessons from Cleveland (Part 2): We continue our conversation with Brenda Culler and Joshua Pecek of Cleveland Water‘s LSLR team. Their program provides a model for other water systems to follow in the development of their own lead service line replacement efforts.

TT047 – Hands-On Training: How to Develop the Water Workforce: Jennifer and Steve talk with Matt Maas, the director of the Environmental Resources Training Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The ERTC is a one-of-a-kind facility with working pilot plants and laboratories that allow students to experience hands-on training throughout the entire certification program. 

TT048 – Solutions-Focused Journalism: Creating Water Stories: In this episode, we welcome Travis Loop, the founder of waterloop, to discuss how to use solutions-focused journalism and storytelling to address our various water problems.

You’re invited to discuss the episodes in our LinkedIn Group and if you choose to share on Twitter, please use the hashtag #TapTalkPodcast. Don’t forget to subscribe via Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app!

Funding Wastewater Infrastructure Projects | Recorded on July 23, 2024

In this recording of our recent live webinar "Funding Wastewater Infrastructure Projects" viewers will discover some of the most helpful wastewater funding resources and learn how to use our search tools at WaterOperator.org to find additional resources and training events. 

This webinar series from WaterOperator.org covers topics relevant to wastewater operators, including funding, asset management, compliance, and water quality. Certificates of attendance will be delivered upon request to live attendees but are not available for watching this replay. 

RCAP's Drop of Knowledge: Article Roundup #4

Drop of Knowledge is a monthly digital article from Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP.) The articles focus on topics like wastewater, drinking water, policy, and infrastructure in rural America. It contains how-to’s, tips, and guidance from more than 300 technical assistance providers (TAPs) across the country. Some featured articles are linked below:

• Resolving Inflow and Infiltration Issues in a Growing Community
• The Beginner’s Guide to Geospatial Asset Management
• How Smoke Testing Can Help Your Small Wastewater Collection System
• Red Cliff Wastewater Treatment Plant Compliant Treatment Process
• Meeting the October 2024 Deadline: A Quick Guide for Water Utilities Struggling to Get Started with Lead Service Line Inventory Compliance
• What is the Most Important Business in Your Community?

Looking for something else? Find more articles and subscribe to A Drop of Knowledge.

Water Treatment Resources for Water Operators

Water treatment is the umbrella term for the processes used to make water more acceptable for a desired end-use, including meeting regulatory requirements. Drinking water treatment includes but is not limited to: chemical disinfection, coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, ultraviolet, ozone, membranes, and reverse osmosis. 

We have 1,772 resources (and counting) on Water Treatment in our Documents Database that provide valuable information on this topic. You can search for documents like a guidance manual for alternative disinfectants and oxidants, chlorination controls for small water systems, factsheets on bacteria in drinking water, and many other useful guides that will help you to deliver safe and clean water to utility customers. 

To access the wealth of knowledge on Water Treatment within our database just select "CATEGORY" in the dropdown then choose "Water Treatment." Once you make that selection, a second dropdown will appear where you can choose "HOST," “TYPE,” or “STATE” to narrow the search even further. If you have a specific search term in mind, use the “Keyword Filter” search bar on the right side of the screen.

This is part of our A-Z for Operators series.