- The National Association of Water Companies warned that water systems are a prime target for cyber attacks.
- More than 90% of the group’s members have full cybersecurity plans, while many other utilities lack basic protections.
- The group urged Congress to pass bipartisan legislation creating a Water Risk and Resilience Organization.
- The statement came on August 5, 2026, from NAWC President and Chief Executive Officer Robert F. Powelson.
Thursday, August 6, 2026 — The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), a group that represents private water providers, issued a public statement yesterday about cyber attacks on water systems. Its president and chief executive officer, Robert F. Powelson, said the nation’s water and wastewater systems have become a favorite target for hackers working from other countries.
“Critical infrastructure is squarely in the sights of international threat actors seeking to disrupt essential services with the water sector as a prime target,” Powelson said
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Some Systems Are Ready, Others Are Not.
According to the statement, how well water providers guard against these attacks varies widely from place to place. Powelson said more than 90% of the group’s member companies already have complete cybersecurity plans in place. Many other utilities, he said, lack even basic protections.
The reason, according to NAWC, is that there is no single set of rules that every water system must follow. “The absence of uniform cybersecurity standards leaves too many systems vulnerable as we are seeing play out in real time,” Powelson said.
A Call for New Rules.
The group used the statement to press lawmakers to act. NAWC continues to ask Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that would create a Water Risk and Resilience Organization. That new body would advise the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on building, carrying out, and enforcing cybersecurity requirements for drinking water and wastewater systems.
Powelson said protecting these systems matters for public health, the economy, and national security. He said that as cyber threats grow more advanced, the federal government must strengthen defenses across the entire water and wastewater sector.
About the Group.
NAWC said its member companies serve the water and wastewater needs of millions of Americans each day. The nation’s largest regulated, private water companies together invest nearly $6.8 billion each year to maintain their infrastructure and keep safe, clean drinking water available.
