Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security, 4 Volume Set

WATER INFRASTRUCTURE INTERDEPENDENCIES

NEIL S. GRIGG

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

1 INTRODUCTION

Managers of water and electric systems are more concerned about security failures of the infrastructures they depend on than about failures in their own systems. Their concerns were reported in a workshop on water, electricity, and transportation managers, where they expressed confidence in their own security plans but sought guidance on managing interdependencies [1]. This article identifies the interdependencies among water and other infrastructure systems and explains how to reduce the corresponding risk and improve infrastructure security. Other articles in the volume explain the nature of water infrastructure and how to address direct security issues.

2 OVERVIEW OF WATER SYSTEM INTERDEPENDENCY

As other articles in this volume explain, water system managers face threats to their systems from natural causes such as earthquakes and from human-induced causes such as attacks on their supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. To respond, these managers must assess vulnerabilities and mitigate risk by multiple actions to strengthen emergency plans and response capabilities.

Water system managers also face vulnerabilities from interdependencies with elements of the water infrastructure that they may not control (such as their raw water supplies) and with other infrastructures (such as with electric power). These two sources of vulnerabilities represent ...