Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Security Issues: Impacts on Environmental Engineering Research and Design

Abstract

On September 11, 2001, the possibility of an international terrorist attack within the continental United States became a reality. The most recent terrorist attacks targeting the United States have been directed at constructed facilities and infrastructure e.g., the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, selected postal facilities and congressional offices . Although these attacks seemed to initiate terrorism in the continental United States, numerous domestic terrorism attacks and incidents have occurred in the United States since the early 1950s. Terrorism can be defined as the unlawful use of force or violence, or threatened use of force or violence, against persons and places for the purpose of intimidating and/or coercing a government, its citizens, or any segment thereof for political or social goals. This definition highlights the following concepts: • Intimidation and fear are the agents of change desired by the terrorists. • The terrorist’s victims may not necessarily be the ultimate targets of the attack. Since the victims are pawns in an attempt to instill fear, those who observe the act are the intended targets. Among the most critical infrastructure areas needing protection are potable water treatment, storage and distribution systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems. It would be difficult to explain the fear and panic that the people of a community would experience if they were to wake up one morning and find out that they could not use the drinking-water system or wastewater system because of a terrorist attack or vandalism. During such natural disasters as hurricanes, local areas have had to resort to using bottled water and portable toilets for relatively brief periods of time. However, during a widespread terrorist attack, large population areas—including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and prisons—could be severely affected for extended periods of time. Congress included a drinking-water component in PL 107-188, the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, passed in June 2002. This legislation required drinking-water systems serving more than 3,300 people to conduct a vulnerability assessment to help them determine their vulnerability to various threats, including intentional contamination. In addition, this legislation required utilities to revise or prepare an emergency response plan that incorporated the results of the vulnerability assessment. On January 30, 2004, President Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive-9 HSPD-9 . This directive established a national policy to defend the agriculture, water, and food system of the United States against terrorist attacks and other emergencies. It also called on the federal agencies responsible for agriculture, food, and water security to “develop robust, comprehensive and fully coordinated surveillance and monitoring