Securing Our Water Infrastructure: Priorities and Strategies

1. Water Security Priorities and Strategies Tanya Hodge Mottley Acting Director, Water Security Division Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water Office of Water March 3, 2008

2. Overview • Background • Priorities • Process for developing • High priority areas • Strategies • Challenges

3. Water Security Division • The Water Security Division is located in the Office of Water’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water • Established after 9/11/01, with a purpose of improving the security of our nation's drinking water and wastewater infrastructures. • Mission: The Water Security Division provides national leadership in developing and promoting security programs that enhance the Water Sector's ability to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from all hazards. • Vision: The Water Sector is a secure and resilient drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that provides clean and safe water.

4. Who We Are Office of Water Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water • Note: Over 25 projects from low to high priority

5. Prioritizing Water Security • Why prioritize? • To be strategic, we must narrow our focus • To narrow our focus, we must prioritize • What is a “priority”? • A near-term differential investment • Influenced by staffing levels, funding, management attention • List of priorities≠ List of projects • High priorities vs. lower priorities • Priorities will change; review projects annually • Practical implications for resources

6. Priority Considerations • Drivers • Presidential Decision Directive 63 of 1998 • Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs) 5, 7, 8, 9,10 • Changes in Administration • Congress and new legislation • NIPP/ SSP • Threats • Resource demands • Voluntary nature of the program • Roles/ responsibilities • Opportunities • Enhancing partnerships • Strengthening emergency preparedness

7. Water Security High Priorities • Response • Mutual Aid • Emergency Support Functions • Emergency Response Training/Tools • Recovery • Decontamination • Detection • Water Lab Alliance • Prevention/Overarching • Water Security Initiative • Measures • DHS Liaison Activities • Partnerships/ Communications

8. Priorities and Drivers

9. Mutual Aid • Description • Agreements, known as Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs), facilitate the effective and efficient flow of personnel and resources after an emergency between DW and WW utilities • Currently 21 WARN programs • Publish WARN Operational Plan and EMAC Tips • Publish tabletop exercise materials; facilitate tabletop exercises • Desired Outcome • WARN programs in all 50 states; faster recovery • Challenges • Voluntary at the local and state levels; integration of small and large systems; establishing inter-state agreements (EMACs)

10. Water Training • Description • Water Sector ICS/NIMS Training • Wastewater Response Protocol Toolbox and Training • A new planning tool that provides guidance to aid wastewater utilities in planning for contamination threats and incidents; workshops in each Region • Desired Outcome • Improve response capabilities in the water sector; quicken recovery • Challenges • Reach a modest proportion of the sector • Training = preparedness?

11. Emergency Support • Description • Emergency Support Function (ESF) #3 - With the USACE (ESF #3 lead) et al, better deliver federal assistance before, during, and after an INS • Document discussion, procedures, and agreements with USACE, FEMA, tribes and the states • Ground-truth coordination efforts through planning sessions • Water Teams - Establish water teams (under the Response Support Corps) to support states or other Feds in responding to disasters impacting water • Desired Outcome • ESF #3 - A common understanding and coordination of what each Agency will provide; improve recovery times for utilities • Water Teams - Improve response capabilities in the water sector; quicken recovery • Challenges • Coordination with FEMA and other bureaucracies from locals to feds

12. Decontamination • Description • Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) working group to provide recommendations for priority issues and develop a 3-5 year strategy for water sector decontamination • Coordinate implementation of recommendations • Support decontamination training efforts • Desired Outcome • Actionable strategy that identifies specific activities and responsibilities for Water Sector decontamination over 3-5 years • Challenges • Resources and “marketing” to sector

13. Water Laboratory Alliance • Description • Design and promote a lab infrastructure that harnesses existing lab resources, to enhance sampling and analysis during an event • Refine the Regional Drinking Water Laboratory Response Plans • Validate chemical/biological methods, laboratory tools, policy and guidance • Outreach and communication, network coordination, training, data management standardization • Desired Outcome • Increase capability and capacity of laboratories to respond to a water contamination event • Earlier detection and confirmation of threat agents • Challenges • Resources and coordination with appropriate parties

14. Water Security Initiative • Description • Operation/evaluation of Cincinnati contamination warning system pilot • Establish 4 additional contamination warning system pilots • Issue interim guidance documents • Developing a Consequence Management Plan • Developing a Concept of Operations for a Contamination Warning System • Desired outcomes • Demonstrate successful operation of the pilots • Provide interim guidance that assists utilities with implementing effective contamination warning systems • Reduce detection and response times • Challenges • Voluntary adoption

15. Metrics • Description • Under the WSCC-WGCC CIPAC process, develop metrics to gauge progress in risk reduction • Finalize suite of national water security metrics tracking utility security activities, risk reduction outcomes, and gaseous chlorine and begin data collection • Desired Outcome • Track water sector’s progress in security and risk reduction; internal calibrating; communicate these data to DHS, Congress, and the public • Challenges • Voluntary reporting

16. DHS Liaison Activities • Description • Sector Annual Report • Sector-Specific Plan annual review • Strategic Homeland Infrastructure Risk Assessment • Metrics • Programmatic and Core • Tier program data • Desired Outcome • Elevate awareness of risks and countermeasures from the local to fed levels; more recognition/funding for the sector • Challenges • Effective coordination, both with DHS and the sector

17. Partnerships and Communication • Description • Improving communication through the Water CIPAC • Establishing CIPAC Work Groups to study issues • e.g., Metrics, decontamination, emergency response (potentially) • Promoting an Active and Effective Security Program • Emphasizing the 10 Key Features and getting them out to the sector • Chicagoland - water and wastewater preparedness • To promote better understanding of public-private sector interdependencies • Foster fuller understanding of potential impacts of water infrastructure loss on business resiliency and continuity • Desired Outcome • Enhanced communication with the water sector and with other critical infrastructures • Challenges • Coordination

18. WaterISAC • EPA grant with AMWA • National Level Exercises – EPA working with WaterISAC to define roles and responsibilities for working together during a real incident • DHS is sponsoring “NLE 2-08”, to exercise incident management activities which support the protection and restoration of critical infrastructure/ key resources during a disaster and terror event; May 1-8, 2008 • EPA works with WaterISAC to get sensitive information made available to the water sector • e.g., access to Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT)

19. Strategies • Promote coordination between the utilities, associations, and States • Participate in stakeholder meetings • Coordinate with AMWA and EPA HQ through the Water CIPAC • Training and exercises • Develop nationwide laboratory networks for water quality • Integrate Federal and State laboratory resources to meet the water sector’s homeland security sample analysis needs • Annually issue State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) awards

20. Program Challenges • Achieving progress under a voluntary program • Diverse and large number of stakeholders • VA/ERP one-time requirement • Incentives to motivate all utilities • Different perception of risk to the Water Sector • Threats and consequences • Interdependencies • Some security issues transcend sectors • Aging infrastructure and competing priorities for the water sector • Coordination complexities • EPA, DHS, WSCC/GCC/CIPAC, NIPP/SSP/Annexes, WARNs/EMAC, ISAC/HSIN… • Information sensitivity issues • Roles and expectations

21. Questions?Contact Information:Tanya Hodge Mottleymottley.tanya@epa.gov(202) 564-3152www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity