Water System Security

Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities

WATER SYSTEM SECURITY

November 26, 2001

With the increased awareness and concern over potential terrorist threats to infrastructure in America, Salt Lake City Public Utilities wants to reassure our customers of efforts we have taken the past several years to protect their water supply.

In 1999, the Department of Public Utilities hired a security consultant to help develop a security plan to prepare the department for natural disasters, public health emergencies and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The security plan included preparation of a risk assessment of Public Utilities facilities and an operational plan. This planning effort has aided the department in securing its facilities to protect against potential terrorist threats. Moreover, this effort has improved our operational ability to quickly and effectively respond to any emergency. This is a continuing program and Public Utilities is working closely with local, state, and federal officials to ensure that we are taking prudent and effective measures to protect the city’s municipal water system.

Below are some responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the security of our water supply.

What is Salt Lake City doing to protect its water system?

Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities hired a private security consultant in 1999 to complete a Security Plan and an Emergency Operations Plan for the Department. This plan was completed and implemented in 2000 and is continually being reviewed and updated as needed.
We communicate regularly with and monitor advisories from the FBI, EPA, State and others. To date, we have not received notification of specific warnings or threats to the water system, but we continue to closely monitor that possibility.
All our water facilities are patrolled 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Additional security hardware has been installed throughout our system.
Electronic and manual surveillance have been increased at our facilities.
We have increased water quality monitoring capability at our treatment plants and throughout the water system.
Our staff has received various levels of training to recognize and respond appropriately in the event of suspicious or threatening events.
We have conducted personnel background checks and increased security procedures at all our facilities.
We are educating and requesting all city employees and residents living near water facilities to be on the lookout for suspicious activity and report it promptly to our 24-hour emergency dispatch (483-6700).
We have coordinated over the past 3 years and continue to communicate with numerous local, state and federal agencies and know their contact personnel on a first name basis. These agencies include Police, Fire, FBI, Department of Justice, Public Health, EPA, Environmental Quality, Emergency Management, FEMA, other water providers and numerous others. Much of this effort is coordinated through the Unified Olympic Public Safety Command (UOPSC), the entity formed for the sole purpose of providing public safety through the Olympic period. This coordination will continue as part of the Homeland Protection efford with State and Federal officials.

Are our watersheds, reservoirs, and storage systems particularly vulnerable to a terrorist attack?

Public Utilities is taking proactive steps to protect the city’s water sources and storage sites. We are working with local, state, and federal agencies to monitor water supplies and secure water facilities. We have implemented strategies to reduce the threat of terrorist attacks and are ready to take action immediately to ensure the health and safety of the public if the need arises.

Does Public Utilities have a plan for providing safe water to drink if a terrorist should poison our lakes or reservoirs?

Public Utilities has independent water processing plants and can get water from other sources such as wells and neighboring water processing facilities. Each storage site can be isolated from the distribution system, and all water is tested for safety as it is processed and during storage. It is very unlikely that the water system security can be significantly breached, but if it is, we are confident that we can respond quickly, detect the problem, isolate it, and continue to provide safe water.

Will these steps to increase security result in consumers having to pay higher costs for water?

There are many factors that affect the cost of producing, storing, and distributing water to our customers. Our costs are relatively low and any small percentage of the total cost that helps protect our supplies and increases the security of the system is a good investment. To date, we have been able to absorb the additional security costs within existing capital improvement and operations budgets.

Can my health be harmed if a terrorist puts chemical or biological agents in the water supply?

The likelihood of this occurring is extremely low, however, there are chemical and biological agents that have the potential to impact water customers if they can be successfully introduced into a water supply. Many of these substances are removed and/or inactivated through the water treatment process. Disinfection in the distribution system also offers additional protection. We routinely monitor for a number of biological contaminants as a part of the Safe Drinking Water Act regulatory requirements and will continue to do so. Our water treatment facilities are highly optimized and operate at a level higher than required by regulatory standards. The potential impact of any contaminant introduced into the water supply is lessened by these practices and the other system security measures that have been implemented. The water system is designed to allow the isolation of any water source. Should an area be impacted, the impacted source can be removed from the system.

How would Public Utilities be notified of a terrorist threat and who would make the decision what actions to take to protect public health?

Law enforcement officials, intelligence organizations, the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command, and senior officials of critical infrastructure services for Salt Lake City are working closely together to prepare for potential threats through and beyond the Olympic period. For security reasons we can’t discuss the procedures in detail, but the public should be confident that any credible threat will be elevated with the appropriate agencies, and we have plans to respond appropriately to protect public health.

What do I do if there is contamination or a terrorist event?

Listen to any advisories and do as instructed. Remain calm. If water contamination is involved, instructions will be issued. As appropriate, Public Utilities will utilize telephone, media (radio, TV, newspaper), web site (www.slch2o.com), automated phone messaging, and if appropriate, go door-to-door to communicate any advisories. It’s always a good idea to have a 72-hour survival kit, including bottled drinking water to deal with any kind of an emergency.

What can I do to help?

The public can be of great assistance by helping to watch for any suspicious activity and reporting it immediately to Public Utilities’ 24-hour emergency number (801-483-6700) or law enforcement authorities. Any emergency or urgent response that is needed can be called to 911.

Other Informational Resources:

EPA on Protecting Nation's Water Supplies from Terrorist Attack (http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security/secqanda.html)

EPA Drinking Water Basics (<http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwhealth.html>)

EPA More Frequently Asked Questions (<http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/faq.html>)

EPA Safe Drinking Water Web Site (<http://www.epa.gov/safewater/>)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (<http://www.cdc.gov/>)