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Water System Security
Vulnerability Assessments

On June 12, 2002, President Bush signed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Title IV) into law. The act requires every community water system serving more than 3,300 persons to:

Conduct a vulnerability assessment
Certify and submit a copy of the assessment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) within a specified time
Prepare or revise an emergency response plan incorporating the results of the vulnerability assessment
Certify to EPA that the system has completed such a plan within six months of completing the vulnerability assessment

For additional information on these requirements, download or view these EPA documents on EPA's Web site:

Instructions to Assist Community Water Systems in Complying with The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, Title IV -- describes what a community water system must do to comply with the Act, the deadlines based on system size, how to determine system size, how to submit the package to EPA, and whom to contact for more information.
- Addendum to Instructions to Assist Community Water Systems in Complying with The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, Title IV (above document)
Vulnerability Assessment Certification -- Fill and print form to certify completion of a vulnerability assessment. The instructions describe how to submit form to EPA.
Emergency Response Plan Certification -- Fill and print form to certify completion of an emergency response plan. The instructions describe how to submit form to EPA.

To help water systems meet these requirements, the Office of Drinking Water provided training to water systems serving between 3,301 and 99,999 people.

Water systems serving fewer than 3,300 people are not required by the law to conduct vulnerability assessments. However, in the interest of protecting all citizens, the Office of Drinking Water allocated separate funds to provide training to these smaller systems as well.

Time frames for submitting vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans
Population served by water system:	Certify and submit vulnerability assessment by:	Certify emergency response plan within 6 months of vulnerability assessment, but no later than:
100,000 or greater *	March 31, 2003	Sept. 30, 2003
50,000 to 99,999	Dec. 31, 2003	June 30, 2004
3,301 to 49,999	June 30, 2004	Dec. 31, 2004
Under 3,300	Not required	Not required

* Water systems with a population greater than 99,999 are working directly with EPA to meet their deadlines.

Staff Contact:
Jim Harksen, Security Coordinator (360-236-3180) for questions on water system security.

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Last Update: 05/07/2008 04:06 PM