EPA Announces $5.2 Million to Help Protect Drinking Water in California from Cyberattacks and Extreme Weather Events
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $5,194,030 in grant funding for midsize and large drinking water systems in California to help protect them from cybersecurity threats and improve resiliency against extreme weather events. This funding, through the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program, will support four projects in California and affirm EPA’s commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to clean and safe drinking water.
“Ensuring that the water coming out of Americans’ taps is safe is a top priority for us at EPA, as our agency is charged with protecting human health,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Martucci. “This funding will help cities across California safeguard their water supplies in the face of both increasingly frequent cyberattacks and natural disasters that can impact drinking water systems.”
The Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Grant Program supports building resilience against cyberattacks and natural hazards to strengthen vital water infrastructure across the country. Cyberattacks on critical water infrastructure have increased significantly, including high-profile attacks this year targeting more than 100 drinking water and wastewater systems across 12 states. At the same time, water infrastructure must have built-in resiliency to withstand natural hazards, such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and flooding so they can continue their mission to deliver safe water uninterrupted to the communities they serve.
Awardees for this funding include public water systems that serve a population of 10,000 people or more. EPA anticipates awarding federal grants to these recipients in California after legal and administrative requirements are satisfied:
- City of San Diego, CA – $2,375,000 to address natural hazard and cybersecurity vulnerabilities through Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) replacement.
- City of Anderson, CA – $804,530 to increase drinking water system resilience to drought and wildfire through water tank replacement and the installation of smart water monitoring devices and security cameras.
- City of Hemet, CA – $ 1,150,000 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires and extreme heat through storage tank and transmission main upgrades.
- California-American Water Company, Sacramento, CA – $864,500 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires through water system upgrades and the purchase of an emergency generator.
This funding is another way EPA is partnering with federal agencies, states, and the water sector to strengthen cybersecurity in the water sector. Last year, EPA proactively identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities at 277 water systems and worked to fix the issues with individualized solutions ranging from authentication protocols to enforcing strict access controls along with other technical updates and restrictions. This work is continuing today. The agency also released new and updated planning tools that water systems across the country can use to help prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents. EPA provides free cybersecurity technical assistance, assessments, training, and tools to help systems improve their cyber defenses.
For natural hazards, utilities can receive technical assistance to increase resilience through EPA’s Strengthening Water Infrastructure for Tomorrow (SWIFT) initiative. EPA also provides trainings on how to help utilities build resilience to cyberattacks and natural hazards. Utilities can visit EPA’s Water Utility Resilience Events webpage for a list of upcoming trainings. In addition, EPA offers self-help resources such as the Cybersecurity Risk Self-Assessment Resources, which help utilities systematically assess their own cybersecurity preparedness, and SWIFT’s Hazard Data Explorer, which helps utilities understand their unique natural hazard risks.
Learn more about this grant and EPA’s Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water grant programs.
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