The Raleigh City Council has approved a resolution in support of amendments to proposed bill H.R. 3258 which is currently under debate in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill titled the Drinking Water System Security Act would place the final decision on which materials, primarily disinfectants, or processes a drinking water utility can use with state and federal agencies. Currently this authority rests at the local level and primarily with the water and/or sewer utility provider.
The proposed bill would clarify the responsibility regarding chemical safety issues associated with water and wastewater treatment plants between the Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency. Currently, water and wastewater treatment facilities are exempt from the Department of Homeland Security’s chemical facility anti-terrorism standards.
The City of Raleigh is requesting the removal of the “inherently safer technologies” requirements that are considered to be arbitrary evaluations and could remove the City’s authority to determine the best processes to use in water treatment. The City stressed the need to balance security with the need to select materials, primarily disinfectants, or processes that best protect public health and water quality. The City of Raleigh believes that authorities at the local level are best placed to evaluate this balance.
Concerns have been raised regarding the protections and processes for limiting access to the vulnerability assessments that can add a security risk with sensitive information. The assessments currently are only accessible by utility operators and first responders.
The City is requesting that standards of culpability for knowingly or recklessly disclosing sensitive information be in line with current law.
City staff will work with the areas Congressional delegation and the American Water Works Association on the requested changes to the legislation. The City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department provides water, wastewater and reuse utility service to more than 435,000 customers in Raleigh, Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon.
Prepared by:
Chris Riley
Senior Public Affairs Specialist
Public Affairs Department
For More Information Contact:
Dale Crisp
Director
Public Utilities Department
One Exchange Plaza, Suite 620
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-857-4540
