Emergency Response and Security
Law Enforcement
Many hazards threaten the safety of our drinking water. Water
system operators and managers must prepare for a variety of
emergencies from natural disasters to accidental spills. Filtration
and disinfection treatment are just a couple of the options water
systems have to keep water safe.
Having a detailed and practiced emergency response plan and an
active security program is critical to providing protection from all
hazards, especially criminal threats to our drinking water. Even
with the best protective program in place, a determined attacker may
gain access to a water supply. When this happens, water system
operators and health officials depend upon law enforcement officers
to determine the credibility of any criminal or terrorist threat.
Police investigators have the experience to evaluate a crime scene
and can identify the signs of criminal activity.
The signs of a break-in are not always as obvious as a cut lock
or broken window. If an attacker tampers with the water supply the
evidence may be as subtle as a change in the chlorine residual, or a
shift in the pH. This is why it is crucial to combine the technical
expertise of the water system operator, and the investigative
know-how of the police to respond to criminal and terrorist threats
to our water.
Staff Contact:
Greg McKnight, Security Coordinator (360-236-3159) for questions
on water system security.
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