The security of a water company, both physically and operationally, can be assessed on five key assets common to virtually all organisations operating in the industry; the physical plant, the people (employees), the knowledge base, information technology and the customers themselves. Of these, the security of the physical plant has come very much to the forefront, with high-level threats such as international terrorism following the horrific events of 9/11, being predominant in the minds of many. Although this threat cannot be taken lightly by suppliers of the UK's potable water supplies, it is on a more everyday level that the water industry currently faces an ongoing challenge to physical plant security―that of vandalism and theft at plants and remote sites across the country. In addition to causing potential disruptions to supplies and effective wastewater treatment, these acts create a drain on bottom line profits for many water companies.
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