Damage to or destruction of the nation’s water supply and water quality
infrastructure by terrorist attack could disrupt the delivery of vital human services in
this country, threatening public health and the environment, or possibly causing loss of life. Interest in such problems has increased greatly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City and at the Pentagon.
Across the country, water infrastructure systems extend over vast areas, and
ownership and operation responsibility are both public and private but are
overwhelmingly non-federal. Since the attacks, federal dam operators and water and wastewater utilities have been under heightened security conditions and are
evaluating security plans and measures. There are no federal standards or agreed- upon industry best practices within the water infrastructure sector to govern readiness, response to security incidents, and recovery. Efforts to develop protocols and tools are ongoing since the 2001 terrorist attacks. This report presents an overview of this large and diverse sector, describes security-related actions by the government and private sector since September 11, and discusses additional policy issues and responses, including congressional interest.

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