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Senate EPW hearing spotlights cybersecurity gaps in U.S. water systems, witnesses urge targeted help
Summary
Senate Environment and Public Works members heard from water operators and cyber experts that many small water utilities lack staff, funding, and technical support to manage cyber risks; witnesses recommended circuit‑rider technical assistance, more funding for Water ISAC and EPA grant programs, and flexible sector standards modeled on NERC.
WASHINGTON — Senate Environment and Public Works members on Wednesday heard officials and cybersecurity experts warn that U.S. drinking water and wastewater systems face growing cyber threats while many small and rural utilities lack the staff and funding to defend themselves.
"There are approximately … 170,000 water and wastewater utilities across the country," Chair Capito said in opening remarks, framing the hearing on threats to public health and daily life. Witnesses from Marshall University, the National Rural Water Association and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies described a mix of technological vulnerabilities, workforce shortages and limited access to federal resources.
Why it matters: Utilities increasingly rely on SCADA, programmable logic controllers and internet‑connected monitoring, witnesses said, but many small systems fall below regulatory population thresholds and lack dedicated IT or cybersecurity personnel. Dr. Scott Simonton, a Marshall University cybersecurity fellow, testified that operators commonly face exposed remote access interfaces, default or shared PLC…
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