WASHINGTON (Valley News Live) – U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) have introduced the Water Cyber Shield Act, legislation aimed at improving cybersecurity in the nation’s water infrastructure following recent cyberattacks against water utilities.
The bill would strengthen federal oversight by the Environmental Protection Agency, provide funding for local utilities, and work to safeguard drinking water and wastewater systems from cyberattacks.
The introduction follows coordinated attacks that targeted more than 30 community water systems in Minnesota in recent weeks. Federal officials warned in April of an increase in cyberattacks against water utilities.
What the senators said
“The recent cyberattacks on Minnesota have highlighted the urgent need to improve the security of our water systems and critical infrastructure,” Klobuchar said. “Our legislation will direct the EPA to assess water infrastructure cybersecurity and identify vulnerabilities, and help municipal water systems defend against cyber threats. Protecting our critical infrastructure and the safety of Minnesotans is a top priority.”
“Every American depends on safe, reliable drinking water, yet recent events have exposed just how vulnerable our water systems remain to cyberattacks by foreign adversaries and criminal entities,” Schiff said. “These threats are not hypothetical — they are happening right now. This legislation gives EPA the tools it needs to protect this critical infrastructure while providing the resources that local water and wastewater systems need to strengthen their cybersecurity without passing the cost on to ratepayers.”
What the bill would do
The Water Cyber Shield Act would:
- Authorize the EPA to conduct cybersecurity assessments and require corrective actions when significant vulnerabilities are identified.
- Authorize an additional $300 million each year for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds dedicated to cybersecurity improvements.
- Require large drinking water and wastewater systems to assess cybersecurity risks as part of their existing risk and resilience planning.
- Direct the EPA to establish tiered cybersecurity standards developed in consultation with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, states, and water sector stakeholders.
- Extend federal cyber incident reporting requirements to state and locally owned water and wastewater systems that were previously exempt.
- Protect sensitive cybersecurity information submitted by utilities from public disclosure.
- Provide pathways for states with sufficient capacity to assume primary enforcement responsibility while allowing EPA to lead where needed.
Smaller water systems and those with less capacity would receive additional flexibility and be prioritized for federal financial assistance. The EPA would also be required to work with water utilities through a new technical advisory committee to develop cybersecurity standards.
Klobuchar’s response to Minnesota attacks
Following the cyberattacks on Minnesota municipal water facilities, Klobuchar received a briefing from U.S. National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross and spoke with several mayors whose communities were impacted, according to the release.
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