NACWA Member Update (MU07-08)

NACWA is pleased to inform members that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released the final Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Sector-Specific Plan (SSP) for Water as input to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

Billy Turner — NACWA Board Member and President of Columbus Water Works in Georgia — has provided exceptional leadership as a member, and now as chair of the Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC). Billy Turner, on behalf of the WSCC, prepared the attached Dear Colleague letter describing the relevance and usefulness of the SSP to water and wastewater utilities.

The SSP sets forth four goals for the sector to drive development of protective programs and measures of success at water and wastewater utilities: 1) sustain protection of public health and the environment; 2) recognize and reduce risks; 3) maintain a resilient infrastructure; and 4) increase communication, outreach, and public confidence.

NACWA believes the SSP is a helpful tool for utilities as they continue to define their security priorities and determine how these priorities fit into their broader business operation plan. As the letter points out, the WSCC “endorses the Water SSP . . . and many initiatives supporting the Water SSP are underway. All of these initiatives are designed to promote the voluntary integration of security and emergency response issues into the day to day business operations of water sector utilities.”

As a living document, DHS and EPA anticipate the SSP to be updated on a regular basis and NACWA would like to hear your comments or concerns regarding the document. Please forward these comments to NACWA’s Cynthia Finley at cfinley@nacwa.org or 202/296-9836.

The SSP and the Dear Colleague Letter are available on NACWA’s website, by clicking on the Security icon on the Association’s homepage and then clicking on the Security Documents icon or by accessing the following webpage: http://www.nacwa.org/advocacy/security/docs.cfm.

Attachment:

• Dear Colleague Letter (PDF)