Homeland Security Research

Research Highlights

EPA Releases Guide for Water Utilities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published Security Information Collaboratives: A Guide for Water Utilities. The purpose of the guide is to inform drinking water and wastewater utilities, and others, about the benefits of establishing collaborative arrangements with other organizations to share information on water security. The guide provides step-by-step suggestions for establishing a collaborative and includes three case studies to show how utilities can successfully coordinate with various key water security partners to enhance security and public health protection.

Background

Water infrastructure-related emergencies can vary greatly in their severity and extent. They can run the gamut from waterborne disease outbreaks and vandalism to terrorist threats and actions suddenly made conceivable by the events of September 11, 2001. Drinking water and wastewater utilities have been working harder than ever to improve or maintain security. Information about potential threats to these systems—and the appropriate responses to those threats—is essential to the success of any security improvements. Drinking water and wastewater utilities can work with each other, state primacy agencies, the public health community, and law enforcement and other first responders to collect and share pertinent information. This guide offers suggestions on how to establish a successful security-information collaborative. In preparing the guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drew on the experiences of established security-information collaboratives across the country.

What is a Security-Information Collaborative?

A security-information collaborative is a group of organizations and agencies formed to share information and address common issues regarding security—in the case of this guide, water security. These collaboratives can take many forms, from ad hoc groups that meet only as needed to formal organizations complete with charters, mission statements, operating budgets, and regularly scheduled meetings.

This guide describes three types of security-information collaboratives: utility to utility, utility to public health, and utility to law enforcement. Its step-by-step approach will help individual utilities identify and create security-information collaboratives that best meet the needs of their particular situations. Its case studies will show how utilities can enhance their security by working more closely with other entities.

See Also
Security Information Collaboratives (EPA/625/R-05/002) May 2005