The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General has identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities in 97 drinking water systems serving about 26.6 million Americans, labeling them as “critical or high-risk.”
The OIG also noted that the EPA lacks a dedicated incident reporting system for cyber incidents and instead relies on the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, highlighting a need for better coordination and documented response strategies.
Read the OIG report here, titled: Management Implication Report: Cybersecurity Concerns Related to Drinking Water Systems.
Asheville Lifts Boil Water Notice From Hurricane Helene
On Nov. 18, the City of Asheville (North Carolina) Water Resources Department officially lifted the boil water notice first issued after Hurricane Helene. Laboratory results from sampling conducted Nov. 16-17 confirmed that the water supply is free from contaminants.
Because water resources officials expect an initial increase in demand, customers were encouraged to temporarily avoid large-volume activities like filling bathtubs, watering landscaping, filling swimming pools and taking abnormally long showers.
ADS Foundation Donates to Aid in Hurricane Recovery
Advanced Drainage Systems recently announced the donation of $30,000 to help in the Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton relief efforts through the ADS Foundation.
The funds will be split, with $15,000 going to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund and $15,000 going to the Florida Disaster Fund. Both states were hit especially hard by Helene, a category 4 hurricane, with Florida receiving another devastating hit just 13 days later when Milton made landfall as a category 3 hurricane.
In addition to the corporate disaster recovery donation, Infiltrator Water Technologies — a subsidiary of Advanced Drainage Systems that specializes in onsite wastewater solutions — is providing products to areas heavily impacted by the storm to help aid in recovery efforts. There were also two ADS manufacturing facilities that partnered with their respective communities to gather and deliver supplies to North Carolina.
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