The EPA wants you to know that the federal government is taking an active role to safeguard American drinking water from bioterrorism.
EPA is working with other government agencies and water suppliers to ensure that the nation's drinking water continues to be safe, even from terrorist attack. EPA is providing local water utilities with the best scientific information as well as technical training on conducting vulnerability assessments and enhancing emergency response plans should an attack occur. To further protect the nation's drinking water supplies, EPA has set up a special task force to enhance protection efforts already underway. The task force will consider how EPA can support efforts by utilities to accelerate local vulnerability assessments and mitigation actions. The goal is to ensure that water utilities are undertaking the steps to understand vulnerable points and to mitigate the threat from terrorist attacks as quickly as possible. The task force will work to speed up the availability of new advanced materials being prepared by EPA and other federal agencies and private sector partners that will be used in preparedness efforts.