The American Water Works Association (AWWA) has sent a letter to U.S. Congressional leaders calling for enhanced federal support for water utilities after cyber attacks hit multiple water systems in recent days.

"Recent cybersecurity attacks on water utilities across multiple states highlight the necessity to provide additional support to drinking water and wastewater utilities as critical infrastructure," AWWA CEO David LaFrance stated in a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership. "Water utilities are frequently overlooked and historically underfunded compared to other critical infrastructure sectors, even though they play a central role in everyday life, the economy, and public health."

The letter urged federal funding for essential cybersecurity requirements, broader eligibility under current programs to cover cybersecurity training for utilities of varying sizes, improved information-sharing among key agencies, and a collaborative approach involving water sector and cybersecurity experts to create sensible regulations that reflect differences in system size and complexity.

AWWA voiced support for cybersecurity provisions in the Senate's Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (S. 4949), including:

Reauthorization of the Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program.
Cybersecurity training as an eligible use of funds in the Drinking Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program and the Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program.
A program to design, construct, or maintain digital infrastructure technology, including through cybersecurity risk mitigation training and technical assistance, for rural water systems and systems in areas experiencing critical water supply needs.
A program to encourage participation in the communications and intelligence sharing organization WaterISAC.

AWWA also asked Congress to consider additional measures, including the Water Risk and Resilience Organization Establishment Act (H.R. 2594), which establishes an independent, nongovernmental organization to develop minimum cybersecurity requirements for the water sector with oversight by EPA; the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program Reauthorization Act (S. 3251), which reauthorizes the SLCGP to help state and local governments address cybersecurity risks; the Cybersecurity for Rural Systems Act (H.R. 2109/S. 1018), which expands the U.S. Department of Agriculture's successful Circuit Rider Program to include cybersecurity; and the Protecting America from Cyber Threats Act (S. 2983), which reauthorizes the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 for an additional ten years.

"We respectfully urge Congress to provide the support utilities have long needed for continued cybersecurity investment in their systems," the letter states. "AWWA is ready and eager to continue serving as a partner and resource on water system cybersecurity."

About AWWA
Founded in 1881, the American Water Works Association is the largest nonprofit, scientific and educational association dedicated to managing and treating water, the world's most vital resource. With approximately 50,000 members, AWWA provides solutions to improve public health, protect the environment, strengthen the economy and enhance our quality of life.

SOURCE American Water Works Association