Emergency Response and Security News
Cyber Security
In recent weeks, there have been reports of cyber attacks on
utilities. There is no credible, corroborated data that indicates a
risk to critical infrastructure or a threat to public safety.
However, it is always wise to plan properly.
We recommend all water systems review their cyber security
protections. At a minimum, consult the U.S. Computer Emergency
Readiness Team (CERT) publication,
Security Recommendations to Prevent Cyber Intrusions. More
information regarding the CERT program, including a security
assessment tool, can be found here:
http://www.us-cert.gov/control_systems/satool.html.
Please report all suspicious activity to local law enforcement
and your Office of Drinking Water regional engineer.
Also, view the Washington State Fusion
Center's (WSFC) Suspicious Activity Reporting Pamphlet (PDF).
The WSFC supports activities to detect, deter, and prevent
terrorism.
New Data/Mapping System Aids in Emergency Response
Sun Harbor Water District #3 (PWSID # 85129) in Walla Walla
County had an acute coliform (e-coli) boil water advisory on July
26th. The Walla Walla County Health Department used newly-created
service area boundary GIS information to identify in a matter of
minutes the 88 addresses served by the water system. They worked
with the county emergency response office to quickly notify all
customers of the boil water advisory.
The Walla Walla County Health Department used Office of Drinking
Water grant funding from the DWSRF set-asides to develop a
Geographic Information System (GIS) based map of all Group A service
area boundaries, linking them to parcel boundaries. Before receiving
the grant, when faced with a water system emergency the health
department would spend an hour or more manually identifying
addresses served by a water system. This is because service area
boundary maps were only approximate, and were not linked directly to
parcel boundaries. The new data enables accurate and efficient
emergency response because it is linked to the county emergency
response department’s mapping database.
Copper thefts on the rise! (08/01/11)
In United States copper thefts rose at
least 50 percent in 2010 compared to the previous year, largely
driven by record-high prices for copper. Increase your attention to
security surrounding your water utility copper infrastructure. Keep
in mind the thefts are primarily for financial gain, many common
sense approaches will deter most criminals. Remember to notify your
local Law Enforcement officials if you see any suspicious activity.
For more information, contact the
Office of Drinking Water.
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