Abstract |
Because safe drinking water and properly treated wastewater are critical to modern life, the federal government has identified the water sector as one of seventeen critical infrastructures/key resources in the United States (Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7). During 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the Water Environment Federation, hosted three Water Sector Security Workshops (workshops) involving drinking water and wastewater utility operators and other key stakeholders. The purpose of the workshops was to discuss water sector security issues in order to better gauge the current status of water security, outline common challenges, and identify what is most needed to better protect the nation's water infrastructure. WEF has published interim reports from each of the three workshops on the Water Security Channel, at www.watersc.org. These reports summarize the results of the workshops and detail specific lessons learned and critical needs related to both the application of water sector security programs and supporting research and technology development. This report will summarize the lessons learned and current needs from all three workshops. First, however, it is important to describe the stakeholder groups represented at the workshops, how participants were selected, and how the workshops were conducted. |