National Performance Measures

About PDF Files

In collaboration with the our water sector partners, we are in the process of developing and implementing national performance measures for water security in order to track risk reduction progress in the water sector. To date, measures have been developed and tested; and are scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2007. Please read the Background and Next Steps sections for more information.

• Background
• Testing the Recommended Measures
• Next Steps
• For More Information

Background

In June 2005, the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) recommended three national aggregate measures of water security progress:

1. Implementation of “active and effective” security programs as measured by the degree of implementation of the 14 program features and corresponding feature-specific measures.
2. Reduction in security risk as measured by the total number of high security-risk assets and the number of high security-risk assets lowered to medium or low risk (based on the results of vulnerability assessments).
3. Reduction in the inherent risk potential of utility operations as measured by Clean Air Act Section 112 (r) reporting on hazardous substances and the number of utilities that covert from gaseous chlorine to other forms of chlorine or other treatment methods.

Please refer to Section IV in the full report, Recommendations of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Water Security Practices, Incentives, and Measures (PDF 110 pp, 616 K) for additional information on these recommended national measures.

Testing the Recommended Measures

In January 2006, USEPA formed the Measures Testing Group (MTG) for National Aggregate Measures of Water Security. The MTG was comprised of representatives from small, medium, and large drinking water and wastewater utilities and representatives from state primacy agencies. The MTG was not a consensus group; their charge was to identify and evaluate implementation options for consideration by a joint water sector and government work group (see Next Steps. Their findings are codified in a final report titled, Findings of the Measures Testing Group for National Aggregate Measures of Water Security.

• Executive Summary (PDF 3 pp, 23 K)
• To obtain a copy of the full report, please email Mr. Greg Spraul.

Next Steps

In 2007, A Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) joint working group will be formed by the Water Sector Coordinating Council and Water Government Coordinating Council (in accordance with the DHS Partnership Model) to recommend the most appropriate implementation options based on the MTG report. The joint working group will recommend measures that correspond to the goals and objectives in Water Sector Specific Plan (SSP) (to be final by the beginning of 2007).

For More Information

For additional information concerning water security measures, please email Mr. Greg Spraul or call at (202) 564-0255.

Recommended resources:

• Recommendations of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Water Security Practices, Incentives, and Measures (PDF 110 pp, 616 K)
• 14 Features of Active and Effective Security Program
• To obtain a copy of, Findings of the Measures Testing Group for National Aggregate Measures of Water Security, please email Greg Spraul.
• The DHS National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) describes the Partnership Model for how government and industry are to work collaboratively through the Sector Coordinating Councils and Government Coordinating Councils (see Chapter 4). The NIPP also describes the role of the Sector Specific Plans (see Chapter 5)
• Clean Air Act 112 (r) Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
• Information on Vulnerability Assessments

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Last updated on April 27, 2007 9:18 AM
URL: http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/measures.cfm