The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $11.75 million in grant funding for midsize and large drinking water systems to help protect them from cybersecurity threats and improve resiliency against extreme weather events.
This funding is through the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program.
The Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Grant Program supports building resilience against cyberattacks and natural hazards to strengthen vital water infrastructure across the United States. Cyberattacks on critical water infrastructure have increased significantly, including high-profile attacks this year targeting more than 100 drinking water and wastewater systems across 12 states. At the same time, water infrastructure must have built-in resiliency to withstand natural hazards, such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and flooding so they can continue their mission to deliver safe water uninterrupted to the communities they serve.
Awardees for this funding include public water systems that serve a population of 10,000 people or more, and the funding was competed through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The EPA anticipates awarding federal grants to these recipients after legal and administrative requirements are satisfied:
- City of Lake City, Florida – $189,875 to increase the water system’s resilience to cybersecurity threats by modernizing their Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and pump control system.
- City of Orange City, Florida – $1,068,750 to increase drinking water system resilience to hurricanes through stormwater infrastructure and generator upgrades.
- City of Bloomington, Indiana – $2,375,000 to increase the water system’s resilience to natural hazards and extreme weather events through facility upgrades, backup generators, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system upgrades.
- City of Bay City, Texas – $1,110,105 to increase water well resilience to hurricanes and other extreme events through the construction of a new well facility.
- City of Coffeyville, Kansas – $687,240 to increase drinking water system resilience to extreme weather through water treatment plant repairs and the installation of a standby generator.
- Denver Water, Colorado – $1,125,000 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires and extreme weather events through dam infrastructure upgrades that will reduce flood risk and improve operational reliability.
- City of San Diego, California – $2,375,000 to address natural hazard and cybersecurity vulnerabilities through Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) replacement.
- City of Anderson, California – $804,530 to increase drinking water system resilience to drought and wildfire through water tank replacement and the installation of smart water monitoring devices and security cameras.
- City of Hemet, California – $ 1,150,000 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires and extreme heat through storage tank and transmission main upgrades.
- California-American Water Co., Sacramento, California – $864,500 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires through water system upgrades and the purchase of an emergency generator.
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