A consistent and growing number of U.S. water systems have come under cyberattacks , targeting both large urban utilities and smaller rural ones, with perpetrators linked to Russia, China, Iand Iran. These pose serious dangers to essential services, including the risk of disrupting water treatment, contaminating supplies, damaging infrastructure, and undermining public confidence.
Here are just a few:
South Coast Water District (California): In July 2025, over 6 million hacking attempts from China were detected in just one week—roughly 600 attempts per second—with attackers probing for weaknesses in critical infrastructure.
Texas Water Facilities: A January 2024 incident linked to Russian hackers saw attackers access control systems in multiple Texas facilities, tampering with water pumps and alarms, particularly near military installations.
American Water: The largest U.S. water utility, serving 14 million residents, was hit by a cyberattack in October 2024 that shut down its billing and customer service systems. While water quality was not impacted, the incident illustrated the sector’s vulnerability.
Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa (PA): In November 2023, attackers compromised internet-connected controllers used for water pressure management, forcing a switch to manual override for safety and continuity.
Tipton Wastewater Treatment Plant (Indiana): Targeted by hackers in April 2024; operations were transitioned to manual control during the attack.
Water treatment plants are becoming more digitized and this increases exposure to cyber attacks. Modern cybersecurity solutions for water treatment address the unique risks of operational technology (OT) networks while securing cloud systems that manage sensitive data. This guide explores various security measures designed to bolster the resilience of water and wastewater utilities.
The EPA’s November 2024 report found high-risk vulnerabilities at 97 major water systems and medium/low-risk issues at over 200 others, covering more than 100 million Americans.
Jeffrey Newman Law is a whistleblower law firm representing whistleblowers reporting violations of export controls, tariff evasion and other kinds of WB cases. The firm website is www.JeffNewmanLaw.com . Attorney Newman can be reached at Jeff@Jeffnewmanlaw.com or at 978-880-4758
