Better sharing of Water Utility Security Incidents Still Needed

By Charles Groover, P.E., Spalding DeDecker Associates, Inc.

 

 

There continues to be a lack of information sharing on security breaches at water utilities.  Since the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001, there has been a concerted focus on improved security for water utilities.  The President signed into law the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 requiring vulnerability assessments be performed by all water utilities serving more that 3,300 people.  The Homeland Security Department has been established and the Federal Government has restructured a number of its agencies and the way they interface to improve national security.  A number of professional organizations have been established with improving security as the charter for their existence.  Yet, there still seems to be relatively little information available on actual security incidents that are occurring at water utilities.

 

Keeping the managers of water utilities informed is the most important step that we can take in protecting the water utilities.  If the information is readily available, they will evaluate the facts concerning actual incidents and determine what steps they need to take to protect their own systems from similar situations.  While the larger water utilities typically have the resources to stay informed, many of the smaller utilities do not and this category in particular needs better exchange of information.

 

The tables below were developed as the result of a periodic search for water system security incidents over the past couple of years.  It is by no means exhaustive and we would welcome any other examples of documented incidents (cgroover@spaldingdedecker.com).

 

A key lesson to be learned is while that terrorism events at water utilities have been rare, vandalism and sabotage by disgruntled employees pose a serious threat and are not limited to just the larger water systems.  There are several incidents that involved relatively small water systems.  The need for effective security extends to all water utilities regardless of size and the incidents mentioned below bring that home.  Security will continue to be a part of water systems management and better cross-feed is still needed to keep everyone informed of what is happening across the industry.


 

Terrorism, Vandalism, and Disgruntled Employee Incidents at

Water Utilities of possible Concern to Michigan Water Utilities

 

 

DATE

LOCATION

EVENT

Mar 1, 99

Neenan, WI

From March through July 1998, 3 separate night-time breakins occurred to the community water softening plant.  In August, a call was received warning of an imminent break-in at the plant.  On the evening of August 12, police apprehended a van at the plant with 3 boys and 2 girls, all ages 17 and 18, wearing dark clothing.  They had portable radios, a detailed map of the plant, rolls of wire, flashlights, canisters of liquid soap, 77 pounds of M-80 firecrackers (equiv to 10 sticks of dynamite), containers of lighter fluid, bolt cutters, video taping equipment, several baseball bats, detailed assignment sheets for each teenager, and a key to the plant.  Questioning revealed a plan to sabotage the plant by 1) Stringing trip wires across stariways, 2) pouring liquid soap on floor beyond trip wires, 3) putting dry soap into the filters, 4) simultaneously igniting all the M-80s with lighter fluid, and luring the operator into a chase.  The teens planned to videotape the incident. (Opflow, March 1999)

Nov 8, 01

Portola, CA

A thousand people have been without water since Nov 5 when 2 locks were discovered missing from one of the city's water storage tank facilities.  The locks were missing from 1M gallon tank and ladder leading to the tank.  Before 9/11, new locks would have been installed and no notice would have been made.  However, the state now requires reports on all acts of vandalism against water suppliers. (www.watertechonline.com)

Jan 31, 02

United States

The FBI issued a bulletin to computer security experts indicating that al-Quaida terrorists may have been studying American dams and water supply systems in preparation for new attackes.  U.S. authorities found a computer belonging to a person with 'indirect ties' to Osama bin Laden that contained architectural and engineering software related to dams and other water-retaining structures. (BreakingNews@watersecurity.org)

Feb 13, 02

Portland, OR

The Klamath County Sheriff's office is investigating vandalism out Federal Bureau of Reclamation related to bitter debate over irrigation water in the Klamath Basin.  Someone posted protest signs at bureau office favoring farmers and painted the outline of a body in the parking lot.  Last year, water for 220,000 acres of farmland was cut off to protect threatened suckers and coho salmon during a drought.  The government is re-examining the decision to cut off irrigation water. (www.watertechonline.com)

Feb 20, 02

Rome, Italy

Italian police arrested 4 Morrocans in possession of large quantities of cyanide and maps of Rome highlighting the locations of the U.S. Embassy.  Police are investigating whether the men were plotting an attack on the embassy or on Rome's water supply.  The men arrested had 10 pounds of cyanide, maps pinpointing the embassy and other locations, map's of Rome's water network, and a stack of counterfeit immigration papers. (www.abcnews.com)

Mar 12, 02

Chicago, IL

A man that FBI said may have been involved in various acts of property damage to water utilities and sewers and power stations in Wisconsin  was charged Monday (March 11) with storing deadly powdered cyanide in an underground passage that is part of Chicago's mass transit system. (www.watertechonline.com)

Jun 11, 02

Janesville, WI

During routine facility check, utility staff discovered that one or more people had cut the barbed wire on a newly installed security fence and removed the padlock on the city's 5M gallon elevated water reservoir.  They drained water tower, added 5 times the normal amount of chlorine to the drinking water, and had samples analyzed.  Janesville is now planning to add $150K in security improvements to their system. (Opflow, September 2002)

Oct 11, 02

Lake Elsinore, CA

Vandals broke into a fenced compound containing a 3-million gallon drinking water reservoir about 7 weeks ago, causing the system to be taken offline until officials could confirm that no damage was done and the water was not contaminated.  The vandals left behind a pair of rubber gloves, an empty plastic bag, and a pair of shorts, and also changed the padlock on the gate .  (www.nctimes.net)

Oct 30, 02

Canton, OH

A former water department employee has been charged with poisoning a pair of city wells and alarming thousands of home owners.  Franklin is accused of spiking a two wells with PCE and TCE in June 2001.  During a 6 day crisis, thousands of homeowners with private wells were told not drink or bathe in their water while the Ohio EPA tested hundreds of wells and searched the water table and streams for the source of contamination.

Jan 22, 03

Colombus, MS

Residents were urged Tuesday (January 21) to drink bottled water while authorities investigated phone call that water supply had been poisened.  The incident turned out to be a hoax.

Jan 24, 03

Debary, FL

Voulusia County may face fines in connection with how it handled a break-in on January 12, 2003 at its water filtration plant.  The break-in at the plant was a 'professional job' that went beyond vandalism and easily could have resulted in the contamination of  dirinking water for more than 4,000 homes.  Eight similar events have occurred since then but none were as serious as the DeBary break-in. (www.watertechonline.com)

Feb 5, 03

Accomac, VA

A state trooper was wounded and another man was shot to death by police when officers went to arrest a man accused of threatening to poisen local water supplies.  The issue is being investigated by the region's Joint Terrorism Task Force but no credible evidence existed that any plan was in place to carry out the threat. (www.watertechonline.com)

Feb 6, 03

Virginia

Illegal immigrant who reportedly threatened to poison water supplies in Virginia nabbed after shootout in which a state trooper was injured and another man was killed. (www.washtimes.com)

Feb 14, 03

Bonita Springs, FL

Damaged fencing was discovered on Sunday morning (February 9) at a drinking water tower in Bonita Springs, FL.  The FL Dept of Environmental Protection is prosecuting Volusia County for not reporting security breach. (www.watertechonline.com)

Feb 26, 03

Lansing, MI

Article on Michigan public school expulsions. In 2002, Michigan students were linked to 16,793 assaults, 975 weapons, 375 bomb threats, 113 arsons, 2,923 larcenies, and 3,076 cases of vandalism (www.detnews.com)

Mar 1, 03

Detroit, MI

Detroit police arrested ex-con with powerful pipe bomb in back seat of car on West Warren near Detroit's border with Dearborn.  Police bomb squad detonated it at the site. (www.freepress.com)

Mar 21, 03

Cincinnatti, OH

Twenty four hours after war in Iraq begins with U.S. water utilities on high alert, a security breach at Kenton County Water District caused water service to be shut down until tests showed the water quality to be satisfactory. (www.watertechonline.com)

Mar 25, 03

Detroit, MI

Detroit police reportedly arrested and released 4 men near the Detroit Water and Sewerage Plant Tuesday morning around 3 a.m.  Several manhole covers were removed and the men were found with a laptop computer and binoculars.  Authorities released the men but kept the computer to investigate. (www.clickondetroit.com)

Mar 26, 03

Detroit, MI

Jury selected for trial of 4 men accused of conspiring to support terrorism.  Three of the men were arrested in a Sep 17, 01 raid on a Detroit apartment.  The men are charged with conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists.  Raid turned up a day planner detailing planned attacks and video tape of U.S. landmarks.  (www.detnews.com)

Apr 2, 03

Amman, Jordan

Six Iraqi agents were arrested in a plot to poison the water supply for American troops at a military base in Khao, 17 miles northeast of Amman.  Jordan is growing more concerned over its internal security as some of the population's anger has increased due the Iraqi war and Jordan's support of the U.S. (www.watertechonline.com)

Apr 28, 03

Debary, FL

High profile vandalism case at Volusia County water-treatment facility raised questions when someone removed three bolts and pushed aside section of chain link fence to access the facility without triggering alarm.  Plant serves 15, 000 people. (www.watertechonline.com)

Jun 3, 03

Detroit, MI

Detroit jury finds 2 of 4 defendants guilty of conspiracy to support terrorism.  Three were also convicted of document and visa fraud.  The fourth was acquitted of all charges. (www.detnews.com)