Bill Summary
The "Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act of 2025" is a legislative proposal aimed at enhancing the preparedness and resilience of drinking water and wastewater systems against various threats, including cyberattacks and natural hazards. Key components of the bill include:
1. **Program Development**: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to establish a program within one year of the act's enactment. This program will focus on increasing participation of community water systems and treatment works in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WISAC), which is responsible for monitoring and analyzing threats to the water sector.
2. **Cost Support**: The bill provides financial support to help community water systems and treatment facilities cover costs associated with maintaining or initiating their membership in the WISAC.
3. **Data Coordination**: The act promotes enhanced cooperation between the EPA and WISAC for better data collection and analysis regarding threats affecting water systems.
4. **Resource Enhancement**: It aims to improve the tools and resources available to WISAC to aid water systems in identifying, protecting against, and responding to potential malevolent acts and natural disasters.
5. **Funding**: The legislation authorizes $10 million in appropriations for the fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support these initiatives, with funds remaining available until fully expended.
Overall, this act seeks to bolster the security and resilience of the nation’s water infrastructure against emerging threats.
Possible Impacts
The "Water Intelligence, Security, and Cyber Threat Protection Act of 2025" aims to enhance the resiliency and preparedness of drinking water and wastewater systems. Here are three examples of how this legislation could affect people:
1. **Improved Water Safety and Quality**: By encouraging community water systems and treatment works to participate in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the legislation will facilitate better communication and data sharing regarding potential threats to water quality. This proactive approach can lead to quicker responses to contamination incidents or natural hazards, ultimately ensuring that residents have access to safer drinking water.
2. **Financial Support for Local Systems**: The act includes provisions to offset costs for community water systems and treatment works that need to maintain or initiate membership in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center. This financial support can alleviate budget constraints for smaller municipalities, allowing them to invest more in infrastructure improvements and emergency preparedness, directly benefiting the local population by maintaining reliable water services.
3. **Enhanced Emergency Preparedness**: The establishment of a program to enhance tools and resources for monitoring threats to the water sector means that community water systems will be better prepared to detect and respond to malevolent acts or natural disasters. This preparedness can reduce the likelihood of service disruptions during crises, helping to ensure that residents have continuous access to potable water and sanitation services, which are critical for public health.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1118 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1118
To establish a program to increase drinking water and wastewater system
threat preparedness and resilience, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 25, 2025
Mr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a program to increase drinking water and wastewater system
threat preparedness and resilience, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Water Intelligence, Security, and
Cyber Threat Protection Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Community water system.--The term ``community water
system'' has the meaning given the term in section 1401 of the
Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f).
(2) Natural hazard.--The term ``natural hazard'' has the
meaning given the term in section 1433(h) of the Safe Drinking
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i-2(h)).
(3) Treatment works.--The term ``treatment works'' has the
meaning given the term in section 212 of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1292).
(4) Water information sharing and analysis center.--The
term ``Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center'' means
the Information Sharing and Analysis Center referenced in
section 1435(d) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i-
4(d)).
(b) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency shall develop and carry out a program--
(1) to encourage, support, and maintain the participation
of community water systems, treatment works, and other
appropriate entities in the Water Information Sharing and
Analysis Center;
(2) to offset costs incurred by community water systems and
treatment works that are necessary to maintain or initiate
membership in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis
Center;
(3) to expand the cooperation and coordination of the
Environmental Protection Agency with the Water Information
Sharing and Analysis Center with respect to incident data
collection and analysis of water sector-related threats; and
(4) to enhance the tools, resources, and materials of the
Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center for--
(A) monitoring the status of the water sector; and
(B) enhancing the preparedness of community water
systems and publicly owned treatment works to identify,
protect against, detect, respond to, and recover from
malevolent acts (within the meaning of section 1433 of
the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300i-2)) or
natural hazards.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 and 2027, to remain available until expended.
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