Responding to WATER Contamination Threats

摘要

Water terrorism—through intentional or threatened contamination of a drinking-water system— can undermine public health, economic well-being, societal functioning, and the environment. Not only can consumers become ill or die, but water contamination could also cut off water needed for other vital uses such as food preparation, sanitation, fire fighting, agriculture, and industry. Although some goals of water terrorism could be accomplished merely by threatening contamination, terrorists could also actually introduce a broad range of contaminants into the water supply—from widely available industrial chemicals to exotic, engineered microorganisms. Accordingly, an extensive range of affected groups, including the U.S. government, water utilities, and the general public, are increasingly aware that drinking water is a critical and interdependent component of the nation's infrastructure. In 2003, a presidential directive on homeland security designated the U.S. EPA as responsible for protecting the nation's drinking-water and water-treatment systems. In 2004, a second directive required EPA to establish surveillance and monitoring systems that safeguard water quality.