White House Advisory Council Flags Unsustainable Water Infrastructure

The National Infrastructure Advisory Council has approved a new report warning that U.S. water systems are unsustainable and increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats and climate change.

According to the report, rising demand for fixed water supply and decades of underfunding are also contributing to issues in the water and wastewater industries. To address such problems, NIAC recommends measures such as aquifer recharging and developing highly integrated water management systems.

Meanwhile, NIAC’s water security subcommittee noted in the report that the water sector is struggling to hire and retain skilled cyber workers. The council suggested providing workforce opportunities by investing in system monitoring and management tools used in other infrastructure.

Nitin Natarajan, a NIAC member and deputy director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has stressed the importance of building water system resilience. A past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, he said during a council meeting that the government should prioritize preparing for supply disruptions and continuity and recovery, Nextgov/FCW reported.