\ UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460'
SEP ! 3 £UU/1 OFFICE OF
WATER
Dear Community Water System Manager:
This letter describes how you can access important new information concerning water
security. It also provides information about new requirements for community water systems
under the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended by recent legislation on security and
bioterrorism.
On June 12, 2002, President Bush signed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism
Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act) into law
(PL 107-188). The Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act added Section 1433 (a)(l) to
the Safe Drinking Water Act, instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
"provide baseline information to community water systems required to conduct vulnerability
assessments regarding which kinds of terrorist attacks or other intentional acts are the probable
threats to: (a) substantially disrupt the ability of the system to provide a safe and reliable supply
of drinking water; or (b) otherwise present significant public health concerns."
In response to the new Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, EPA has completed
the Baseline Threat Information for Vulnerability Assessments of Community Water Systems
document to assist water utilities in conducting vulnerability assessments. This report is not a
blueprint for developing a vulnerability assessment; however, it does present an overview of
threats, methodologies, and strategies for water utilities to consider as you develop the
vulnerability assessments required under the new law. You may obtain a copy of this document
through the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterlSAC). The WaterlSAC is a
new service intended to provide a secure forum to share and convey security-related information.
Directions for obtaining access to the document through the Web-based WaterlSAC are
described in the Attachment to this letter. Hold all information contained in the document in
confidence and take reasonable precautions to protect it.
As noted above, the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act requires every
community water system serving a population of greater than 3,300 persons to: (1) conduct a
vulnerability assessment; (2) certify and submit a copy of the assessment to the EPA
Administrator (within a specified schedule); (3) prepare or revise an emergency response plan
that incorporates the results of the vulnerability assessment; and (4) certify to the EPA
Internet Address (URL) • http://www.epa.gov
Recycled/Recyclable • Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on Recycled Paper (Minimum 30% Postconsumer)
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Administrator, within 6 months of completing the vulnerability assessment, that the system has
completed such a plan.
The Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act establishes the following due dates for
certification and submission of the vulnerability assessments, and for certification of the
emergency response plans:
Systems serving population of:
100,000 or greater
50,000 - 99,999
3,301-49,999
Certify and submit VA
by:
March 3 1,2003
December 3 1,2003
June 30, 2004
Certify ERP within 6 mos.
of VA but no later than:
September 30, 2003
June 30, 2004
December 3 1,2004
Finally, the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act requires EPA to conduct studies
in the areas of: (1) prevention, detection, and response to the intentional introduction of
contaminants into community water systems and source water for those systems; (2) methods and
means by which terrorists could disrupt the supply of safe drinking water or take actions against
drinking water infrastructure; and (3) methods and means by which alternative supplies of
drinking water could be provided in the event of the destruction, impairment or contamination of
public water systems. As required by the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, EPA
will make this information available, as appropriate, to community water systems through the
WaterlSAC or other means.
I hope you find the Baseline Threat Information for Vulnerability Assessments of
Community Water Systems document helpful as you undertake the very important task of
improving the security of our nation's drinking water infrastructure.
G. Tracy
Assistant Administrator
Attachment
Page 2 of 3
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Attachment
Directions to Access the Document
Baseline Threat Information for Vulnerability Assessments of Community Water Systems
Provide the following information on the Individual designated to access the document. Follow
directions below.
Name (printed):
Name (signature):
Title:
Organization:
Phone:
E-mail:
Public Water System Identification #
(PWSID)
If You Have Internet Access
Fax your request for the document on your organization's letterhead stationery along
with this page with requested information. The letter should be signed by the community
•water system manager. The fax number is: 202-785-1845.
The designee will receive an encrypted E-mail reply with unique password and user
identification. You will also receive an access code to open the document in Adobe
Acrobat Reader. Please take all reasonable precautions to protect this information.
• Once you have received your username and password by E-mail, go to the Web site:
http://www.waterisac.org/EPAdocurnent.asp and log-in. Follow directions on the web site
to access the document. You may download a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader from the
WaterlSAC web site to open the document.
•• For technical assistance in accessing the document, E-mail your question to:
info@waterisac.org or call:866-h2o-ISAC (426-4722). For questions about the content of
the document, E-mail Brian Frazer with EPA's Water Protection Task Force at,
frazer.brian@epa.gov.
If You DO NOT Have Internet Access
Fax or mail your request for the document on your organization's letterhead stationery along with
this page with requested information. The letter should be signed by the community water system
manager. The fax number is 202r564-8513. The express mail delivery address is:
Environmental Protection Agency, Attn: Documents, Room 2104A EPA East, 1201 Constitution
Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20004. If you send the letter by U.S. Postal Service there will be a
significant delay. You will receive the document by registered U.S. mail.
Page 3 of 3
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