Drinking water and wastewater
utility owners, operators, and staff
need to be consistently prepared
for emergencies.  Clean, safe, and
reliable water is often taken for
granted; however, this service is
essential in maintaining public
health and the economic viability of
the community served.

The information in this brochure
provides more details on how
drinking water and wastewater
(Water Sector) partners are working
together to enhance the security
posture of critical Water Sector
infrastructure.
Where Can I Get More Information?
More information on the NIPP, the Water SSP,
and other security-related materials can be
found at the following Web sites:

Water SSP and Security Initiatives:
http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/
index.cfm

National Infrastructure Protection Plan:
http://w w w. dhs. gov/nipp
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
   Water  Sector-
     Specific Plan
         Fact Sheet



                                     Office of Water
                                     www.epa.gov/safewater
                        EPA817-F-07-018
                         December 2007

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Water Sector-Specific Plan
                                                                             Fact Sheet
What is the Water Sector-Specific
Plan?
The Water Sector-Specific Plan (Water SSP)
is a broad-based critical infrastructure
protection implementation strategy for
drinking water and wastewater utilities, their
regulatory primacy agencies, and the array
of training and technical assistance partners
that comprise the Water Sector. The plan
describes processes and activities to assist
drinking water and wastewater utilities as
they strive to be better prepared to prevent,
detect, respond to, and recover from terrorist
attacks, other intentional acts, natural
disasters, and other hazards.

Why Should I Be Concerned  About
Drinking Water and Wastewater
Security?
Protecting the critical infrastructure and
key resources (CI/KR) of the United States
is essential to the Nation's security, public
health and safety, economic vitality, and
way of life. We all rely on clean and safe
water; therefore, it is critical that  we protect
the Nation's drinking water and wastewater
infrastructure.  Whether your area of
expertise is emergency management, medical
support and health care, agriculture, or
economics, water supply is critical to the
success of your program. Without a reliable
drinking water source and the means to
safely dispose of  wastes, hospitals will not
be able to support a community in need,
first responders will not be able to fight fires,
hazardous materials workers cannot take
decontamination measures, and response
workers will not be able to stay onsite due to a
lack of potable water. Ultimately, the economic
stability of a city, town, or region may be
jeopardized without water that is safe to use
and drink.

How was the Water Sector-Specific Plan
Developed?
The Water SSP was created under the guidance
of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's
National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP).
The document, which was produced by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in
coordination with Water Sector security partners
including the Water Sector Coordinating
Council and the Water Government
Coordinating Council, was released in June of
2007.

What does the Water Sector-Specific
Plan  Do?
The Water SSP contains four goals and
supporting objectives that will drive
development of protective programs and
measures of success. These goals are:
• sustain protection of public health and the
  environment;
• recognize and reduce risks;
• maintain a resilient infrastructure; and
• increase communication, outreach, and public
  confidence.
The Water SSP includes information on
identifying assets, assessing risk, prioritizing
infrastructure, developing and implementing
protective programs, measuring progress,
research and development, and outlines EPA's
responsibilities as the Sector-Specific Agency.
The Water SSP is based on the NIPP risk
management framework which establishes
the process for combining consequence,
vulnerability, and threat information to
produce a comprehensive, systematic, and
rational assessment of national or sector-
specific risk that drives CI/KR protection
activities.


  What Does This Mean for Me?
  Protecting the Nation's Water Sector
  critical infrastructure is a shared effort
  among water and wastewater utilities,
  emergency management agencies,
  national Water Sector associations, and
  local, state, and federal government
  agencies. Each partner has specific
  roles to play that include assessing
  risk, providing resources for security
  enhancements, providing training
  and technical assistance, coordinating
  emergency response activities, and
  implementing security infrastructure
  enhancements.  Please consider how you
  can work with these partners in mutually
  beneficial ways to further support our
  Nation's security, public health and
  safety, economic vitality, and way of life.

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