Sponsors
The bill boosts water-sector preparedness and incident detection by funding membership, support, and better data coordination for water systems, at the cost of modest federal spending, potential privacy/sensitive-data risks, and remaining implementation burdens for small systems.
Community water systems and publicly owned treatment works (especially small and rural utilities) receive dedicated federal funding plus fee offsets and technical support to join and use Water ISAC, reducing membership cost barriers and providing implementation help.
Water systems (urban and rural) gain improved tools and closer EPA coordination for incident data and threat analysis, strengthening detection and response to contamination or attacks.
Utilities and local governments may face expanded data sharing obligations with Water ISAC, raising concerns about sensitive infrastructure information and privacy if safeguards aren't specified.
Small and very small water systems may still incur operational and administrative costs to use enhanced tools and comply with new processes despite fee offsets.
The authorized federal spending (about $20 million across 2026–2027) increases federal outlays, which modestly raises budgetary pressures and may require offsets elsewhere.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs EPA to expand Water ISAC participation, offset membership costs for community water systems and treatment works, improve threat data-sharing and tools, and authorizes $10M/year for FY2026–2027.
Introduced March 25, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress March 25, 2025
Requires the EPA to set up a program to increase participation of community water systems, publicly owned treatment works, and other water-sector entities in the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Water ISAC). The EPA must help pay membership costs for community systems and treatment works, improve data sharing and analysis of threats (including cyber and malevolent acts), and upgrade Water ISAC monitoring and preparedness tools, with $10 million authorized for each of FY2026 and FY2027.