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Water utilities strengthen defenses by identifying the systems and people essential to safe service, reducing avoidable access and remote-interface risks, and preparing to respond and restore operations. The work needs to cover business IT, operational technology (OT), communications links, and third-party access—not just the control-room network. EPA recommends that water and wastewater system owners and operators assess IT and OT risks and develop mitigation plans, regardless of system type or population served.
Understand what a cyber incident could affect
A utility’s cyber risk crosses the boundary between office technology and plant operations. Business IT may hold customer information or support email and websites; OT monitors and controls treatment, distribution, or conveyance; communications links connect systems and sites; and vendors or contractors may need access to maintain equipment. A disruption can affect one or several of these functions.
EPA’s 2024 incident action checklist identifies possible effects including interruption of treatment, distribution, or conveyance; theft of customer information; compromise of a website or email; damage to system components; and loss of remote SCADA monitoring. These are risks to plan for, not a claim that every incident will cause them or that every utility has the same architecture.
Build an inventory and assign clear ownership
Start with a practical map of the systems that keep the service running. Include business and enterprise IT, process-control OT, communications, remote access, and the people or contractors who operate and maintain each part. EPA’s incident checklist calls for identifying mission-critical IT and OT systems and key functions, and designating an overall security lead to coordinate system managers.
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For each critical asset or function, record its owner, its operational role, dependencies, who can access or change it, and how the utility would operate if it became unavailable. This inventory gives leaders a basis for judging which gaps deserve attention first; a generic list of controls cannot substitute for understanding the utility’s actual system.
Turn assessment findings into prioritized mitigations
EPA’s August 2024 Guidance on Improving Cybersecurity at Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems asks owners and operators to evaluate IT and OT risks, identify gaps, and develop a mitigation plan with actions, resources, schedules, and responsibilities. EPA’s Cybersecurity Checklist is a voluntary gap-finding aid based on CISA’s Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals, which align with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It is one useful route, not the only framework a utility can use.
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- Breakthrough 1804 ft Connectivity: Engineered with advanced Sub-1G long-range wireless tech, our leak detector maintains robust signals over unprecedented distances—reaching up to 1804 feet even through 5 dense walls. Secure every critical space in expansive properties, from deep basements to detached garages and distant outbuildings.
- Multiple Reminder Methods: Our water leak sensor supports multiple remote alarm. It can instantly send SMS, APP, and Email notifications to your phone (no matter how many times the SMS is used, it's free). Also, the water leak sensor flashes red and sounds a 105 dB alarm. Perfect for the basement, kitchen, or vacation home!
- Feature-Rich App: Receive instant push notifications. Use the “Find Device” feature to quickly trigger audible beeps to retrieve misplaced sensors. Add multiple email addresses through the APP, and your family and friends can also receive reminders when there is a water leak at home.
- Industry Leading IP67 Waterproof: Its IP67 waterproof rating ensures durability against spills, humidity, and accidental submersion.It can be used multiple times after wiping dry.
- Four-level volume adjustment: Customize your own alarm to fit your life! Use the app to adjust the volume in 4 levels, with a maximum alarm volume of 105 decibels. Whether it's day or night, whether it's in the bedroom or the basement, you can find the right volume.
Prioritize work by the potential effect on critical service, the likelihood and consequences of a failure, and what the utility can implement safely with its staffing and infrastructure. Convert each selected action into an owner, needed resources, a target schedule, and a way to verify completion. EPA encourages utilities to use checklist findings to build a mitigation plan and to seek an alternative or compensating measure when logistical, infrastructure, or other constraints prevent a particular practice.
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Know which accounts, contractors, and connections can reach critical systems, and review whether that access is still needed. Pay particular attention to remote interfaces and human-machine interfaces (HMIs). EPA and CISA have warned that an unsecured HMI could allow unauthorized remote users to view or change real-time system settings, potentially disrupting treatment. This warning makes exposed interfaces important to assess; it does not mean every HMI is exposed or that one fix fits every installation.
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Keep threat awareness and incident reporting in the plan
Establish how staff will recognize and escalate a suspected cyber event, who coordinates the response, and which internal and external contacts must be reached. Keep the contact information and procedures current rather than relying on a number or process copied from an old plan. EPA identifies WaterISAC as a subscription-based source of water-sector threat information, analysis, and response and mitigation resources.
Plan restoration as deliberately as prevention
Identify which business and mission-critical systems must be restored, who is responsible for each, and what procedures and dependencies restoration requires. A plan should account for the possibility that remote monitoring, communications, or supporting IT may be unavailable while operators work to maintain service. EPA’s guidance points to its eight “Top Cyber Actions for Securing Water Systems” and maps checklist practices to them; utilities can use these priorities while adapting implementation to their own operating constraints.
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Know which planning requirements apply and choose an assessment route
In the United States, EPA states that community water systems serving more than 3,300 people are subject to section 1433 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended by the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. They must include electronic, computer, and automated systems in the required risk and resilience assessment (RRA) work and address cybersecurity in the associated emergency response planning process. The 3,300-person threshold is a regulatory applicability threshold, not an estimate of attack frequency.
Separately, EPA recommends that all water and wastewater system owners and operators assess IT and OT risks and develop mitigation plans. A utility should confirm its own obligations and current regulator guidance rather than assume that the statutory threshold describes every applicable requirement.
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| Assessment route | What it offers | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| EPA Water Cybersecurity Assessment Tool | A free self-assessment option listed by EPA. | Consider it when the utility has staff able to assess its own systems and turn findings into an owned, scheduled mitigation plan. |
| EPA Water Sector Cybersecurity Evaluation Program | A third-party assessment option listed by EPA. | Consider whether outside evaluation and the utility’s need for OT-specific expertise fit its risk, internal capacity, and follow-up needs. |
| Other sector methods and assistance | EPA links to CISA, NIST, and AWWA methods and offers water-sector cybersecurity technical assistance. | Select an approach that supports the utility’s planning needs and produces practical actions for its actual system. Confirm current availability with EPA. |
EPA’s resource descriptions do not provide comparative price or outcome data for these routes. Whichever route is selected, the useful result is a prioritized plan with accountable owners and follow-through, not an assessment document left on a shelf.
Prepare for response and recovery before an incident
Use one coordinated plan for preparation, response, and recovery. EPA’s 2024 incident action checklist is organized around those phases, and EPA’s planning resources link to a Water and Wastewater Sector Incident Response Guide co-sealed by CISA, EPA, and the FBI, as well as an incident response plan template.
Before an incident
- Identify critical systems, key functions, system owners, and the person coordinating security.
- Document escalation steps, internal and external contacts, and who has authority to make operational decisions.
- Set out restoration procedures and dependencies for the business and mission-critical systems whose loss could affect service.
- Exercise the plan with the people who would use it, including relevant system managers and contractors.
During an incident
- Use the utility’s established response procedures and current official reporting guidance; do not rely on a universal reporting deadline or stale contact list.
- Coordinate operational decisions through the designated response lead and the responsible system operators.
- Track what is affected—including treatment, distribution, conveyance, customer information, communications, and remote monitoring—so response priorities reflect service needs.
During recovery
- Follow documented restoration priorities and confirm that restored systems can support the required operational functions.
- Record lessons and update asset information, contacts, response actions, and mitigation priorities based on what the utility learns.
Reporting obligations depend on current law and rules. Utilities should check the latest regulator guidance and official incident procedures for their jurisdiction.
Coordinate with the wider water sector
A utility’s own inventory, mitigation work, and response plan remain central, but sector coordination can add useful context and support. EPA’s 2024 water-sector roadmap was developed by a work group that included water-sector associations, utilities, EPA, and CISA; EPA says the group reviewed threats and vulnerabilities, identified capability gaps, and set near- and mid-term priorities. EPA’s July 2025 report calls for a holistic approach involving coordination across government, associations, and utilities.
Information sharing, exercises, and technical assistance complement—not replace—the utility’s own assessment and preparation. EPA identifies WaterISAC as a subscription-based resource for sector threat information and response and mitigation materials; utilities should confirm current membership details directly.
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