Water: Vital to Life, Vulnerable to Terrorism The safety of US water systems took on new meaning as a result of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Today, the US has not adequately mitigated the bioterrorist threat to US water systems. The FBI has previously found a computer belonging to a person with direct ties to Osama bin Laden that contained architectural and engineering software related to dams and other water-retaining structures. Possible contamination of the water system would have a devastating physical and psychological effect on the United States population and economy. Contamination of a water system could consist of the use of biological agents or toxic materials such as metals, cyanide, organic solvents, and pesticides. Currently a vast majority of water facilities lack instrument sensors that can measure the toxicity of the potable water sources and securing these distribution systems is infeasible. The next terrorist attack will affect thousands of people and will incorporate patience and simplicity. These attacks will be against areas that society takes for granted and that are almost impossible to secure. The United States potable water supply system is one of these possible targets. Much like the recent foiled terrorist plot to attack the fuel distribution pipeline at JFK airport, the water distribution systems in the United States are designed to allow flexibility when the system suffers equipment failures or routine maintenance. It is this type of design that makes safeguarding the water supplies highly complex and costly. This design places pumping stations, holding tanks, electronically controlled valves and millions of miles of piping in remote and often obscure locations making them prime targets for terrorists. Contamination of a water system could consist of the use of biological agents or toxic materials.
