• Cybersecurity – In recent years, water/wastewater utilities throughout the U.S. have been challenged with protecting their IT and OT systems from advanced persistent cyber threats.  These threats are initiated from a wide variety of sources.  It is critical that a utility protect their  IT and OT infrastructure to limit the impact of an attack.  This involves PEOPLE, PROCESS and TECHNOLOGY.  

• Risk Management – Recovery from a cyber incident can cost millions of dollars.  As such, cybersecurity insurance is becoming more prevalent in the industry.  However, with engineering firms and contractors having access to a utility’s information and likely keeping plans and specifications, backup files, etc. on their internal servers, is their sufficient coverage if those 3rd party firms are hacked.  Some utilities have started requiring these 3rd party firms to carry their own cybersecurity policies.  

• Physical Security is the protection of personnel, hardware, software, networks and data from physical actions and events that could cause serious loss or damage to an enterprise, agency or institution. This includes protection from fire, flood, natural disasters, burglary, theft, vandalism and terrorism. For utilities, physical security may include CCTV, perimeter fencing, card access readers, and other access hinderances or monitoring technology.

• Health & Safety – Personnel are the most important asset for a utility. Utilities must maintain regulations and procedures to prevent accident or injury in the workplace.  

• Emergency Management – Planning for an emergency is critical to successfully navigating an effective response.  Without proper planning, confusion may occur in the midst of the event, which will delay response to a crisis.  Emergency response planning is a documented series of steps an organization will take during a critical event to protect employees, equipment, or processes. Training of personnel to follow these plans is also critical and often holding exercises of simulated events can be extremely helpful in training of personnel and in identifying possible deficiencies within the plan.