• ASCE, AWWA, WEF to post jointly developed guidelines simultaneously to websites as of 12 p.m. EDT. Effort coordinated through Water Infrastructure Security Enhancements (WISE) program...
RESTON, VA, Dec. 12, 2006 -- Drafts of the nation's first standard guidelines for protecting the public from potential malevolent acts and other threats by enhancing the physical security of water and wastewater infrastructure systems will be released later this week for trial use by water and wastewater utilities.
The voluntary guidelines are a part of the Water Infrastructure Security Enhancements (WISE) program and were jointly developed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) with technical input from the Water Environment Federation (WEF).
Copies of the draft standard documents will be made live on each organization's website at 12 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Dec. 14: www.asce.org, www.awwa.org and www.wef.org
The WISE program -- initiated in 2003 and funded by a multi-year grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -- was organized to support water and wastewater utilities in mitigating vulnerabilities from man-made threats and natural disasters in existing systems, and throughout the design, construction and operation of new systems. Phase I of the program, which focused on the creation of interim voluntary security guidance documents, was completed in December 2004. Phase II focused on developing comprehensive training materials to disseminate the information contained in the interim guidance documents, and was completed in August 2005. The public comment period on Phase III, the draft standard guidelines, will close on June 30, 2007...
Also see:
-- "Water Infrastructure Security Enhancements Guidance Documents"
-- "Review Panel Urges Completion of New Orleans Risk Assessment: Risk Quantification Essential for Improving Hurricane Protection System"
-- "Sixth Annual Infrastructure Security Conference Comes to D.C.: The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) event March 28-29 includes remarks by Army Corps of Engineers commander, Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush"
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