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Member Update (MU02-19)

Member Pipeline - Member Services & Information - Update (MU 02-19)

To: Members & Affiliates
From: National Office
Date: November 20, 2002
Subject: WaterISAC SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS (SMEs)
Reference: MU 02-19

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The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), via cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has been working on the development and launch of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center for the water and wastewater sectors (WaterISAC). AMSA has collaborated with AMWA in this effort, and AMSA member agency representatives sit on both the WaterISAC's Advisory Panel and Board of Managers.

When launched in December 2002, the WaterISAC will take the form of a highly secure Internet portal and serve as a source for sensitive security information and alerts to assist the drinking water and wastewater communities in their efforts to ensure secure facilities and operation. The WaterISAC will replace and enhance the informal information sharing that has been taking place since September, 2001 - in the form of Security Advisories and National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) Weekly Reports - and will become an independent source of security information available to drinking water and wastewater utilities via subscription. More information on the benefits of, and how to subscribe to, the WaterISAC is available at www.WaterISAC.org.

AMWA Seeks WaterISAC Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
One of the functions of the WaterISAC is to respond to incidents, threats, advisories warnings against drinking water and wastewater utilities using subject matter experts. Over the past year, AMWA has relied on a few utility members to fill this role, but would like to build upon that function using volunteers from the water and wastewater industry. The amount of time needed varies. To date it has been very limited on the physical and contamination side, but much heavier on the cyber side.

AMWA is inviting individuals at AMSA member agencies to consider volunteering to participate as a subject matter expert in one of five areas: cyber, microbiological, chemical, radiological and physical. They are hoping to secure 4-5 volunteers for each area. Under this scenario, each person would be on call approximately one week out of a month and need to be reachable 24/7 (most likely via pager). Your pager number would be used by the full-time WaterISAC analyst in the event that information related to your expertise crossed his or her desk. You would be helping to determine the credibility of threats to wastewater systems. The people working in a particular subject area would work as a team. Judging from past experience AMWA estimates that the need for answers is not all that frequent, but it tends to come at odd times. It is anticipated that the amount of questions will increase as more links are developed with others in the intelligence community.

Individuals interested in volunteering should contact:

Diane VanDe Hei
Executive Director
Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies
vandehei@amwa.net
202/331-2820