The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it’s withdrawing its March 2023 Cybersecurity Rule. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and National Rural Water Association (NRWA) are pleased with the decision and have renewed their call for a collaborative approach to cybersecurity measures in the water sector.

Both AWWA and NRWA joined Missouri, Arkansas, and Iowa in a legal challenge to the rule on behalf of their memberships. They pointed out that the rule was not consistent with the process Congress put in place to address cybersecurity concerns for water systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act or the American Water Infrastructure Act and was not issued with proper public engagement required by the Administrative Procedures Act.

In addition to concerns about the legal process and legality of the rule, the water associations expressed concerns that the rule would create additional cybersecurity vulnerabilities for utilities, as sanitary surveys required in the rule have public notification requirements. The rule would also have required cybersecurity reviews by state regulatory agencies that lack expertise and resources for cybersecurity oversight.

“AWWA is pleased that EPA has decided to withdraw its cybersecurity rule,” said David LaFrance, CEO of AWWA. “We also recognize that cyber threats in the water sector are real and growing, and we cannot let our guard down for even a moment. Strong oversight of cybersecurity remains critical. We urge the U.S. Congress and EPA to support a coregulatory model that would engage utilities in developing cybersecurity requirements, with oversight from EPA.”

“This is a major announcement for rural water and wastewater systems as EPA’s decision to rescind the Cybersecurity Rule is released,” said Matt Holmes, CEO of NRWA. “NRWA commends EPA for making the right call as we understand this was not taken lightly and involved much debate. Cybersecurity remains an important issue for our sector and we are eager to collaborate with EPA in the future to address cybersecurity in the water industry.”

Together AWWA and NRWA represent community water systems of all sizes and have been actively involved in advocating for solutions to address cybersecurity, while keeping their members’ perspectives in mind. This is the first time they have partnered together at this scale on national policy.

AWWA first formally endorsed a coregulatory approach in October 2021 and testified about it before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security in 2022. The new governance framework would build on a similar process in the electric sector, maintain EPA oversight, ensure the engagement of water sector experts, and protect sensitive information. It would also incorporate the public-private collaboration called for in the recent National Cybersecurity Strategy. 

NRWA has been actively involved in the legislative arena where cybersecurity is concerned, and its grassroots advocacy has resulted in the introduction of the “Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act of 2023” by Congressmen Zach Nunn (IA-R) and Don Davis (NC-D) and Congresswomen Angie Craig (MN-D), and Abigail Spanberger (VA-D). A key portion of the bill includes additional funding through the NRWA Circuit Rider Program to provide technical assistance to help utilities address cybersecurity. 

AWWA, NRWA, and other water organizations continue to strongly advocate for the implementation of cybersecurity best practices at drinking water and wastewater utilities. Several resources that AWWA has developed, in collaboration with other organizations, facilitate utility review of potential vulnerabilities based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. 

“October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a time when all water utilities are especially focused on keeping our critical infrastructure safe from those who would do us harm,” LaFrance said. “We hope this development is an opportunity to advance a collaborative approach that leads to a safer cybersecurity future.”

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is introducing a prototype of its new AWWA Water Map during the Source Water Protection Week campaign that runs through September 30.

The platform features several interactive elements that provide water sector professionals with the ability to explore successful utility case studies, locate nearby AWWA conferences, and obtain information about AWWA sections and regions.

The annual Source Water Protection Week highlights the critical importance of safeguarding drinking water sources and shares strategies that communities, utilities, and decision makers can implement to protect their local water sources. Using this prototype water map, users can access case studies that demonstrate successful source water protection programs near them.

Some notable features of the water map prototype include:

• Interactive elements. Users can customize their AWWA water map experience using filtering tools, search functions, map design elements, and table features to curate a selection of case study materials tailored to their interests.
• AWWA conferences. The prototype includes an upcoming conferences page, enabling users to identify and explore AWWA’s conferences across North America, providing valuable insights into events closest to them.
• Sections and regions. With an updated mapping resource of AWWA sections, users can access AWWA water map content specific to their AWWA section and region.

The AWWA water map allows users to share and exchange knowledge within the water sector. Several of the case studies feature source water protection solutions, with success stories from:

• San Jacinto River Authority’s Lake Conroe Watershed Protection Plan and Program
• Winterset Municipal Waterworks, Cedar Lake
• City of Iqaluit Source Water Protection Plan and Water Crisis
• Watershed Committee of the Ozarks (WCO) Little Sac Watershed

“The AWWA water map is a dynamic and collaborative effort to bring forward the wealth of water system information that AWWA has to offer, but in a visually informative setting,” said Casey Rodriguez, AWWA water resources mapping specialist. “We’re excited to showcase such amazing source water protection projects in this prototype version, along with their organizations, and provide recognition for their ingenuity and adaptability to current water issues across the continent.”

The AWWA water map prototype will be freely accessible to the public; however, as part of AWWA’s commitment to its members, the final version of the AWWA water map (available in 2024) will be an exclusive benefit for AWWA members.

To learn more about Source Water Protection Week visit https://www.awwa.org/Resources-Tools/Resource-Topics/Source-Water-Protection/Source-Water-Protection-Week.

To explore the AWWA water map prototype visit https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a54e850eed3f493db0835e8c6b08c2ba.