The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $11.75 million in federal grants on August 31, 2026, to help ten midsize and large drinking water systems upgrade infrastructure against cyberattacks, wildfires, and extreme weather hazards.
Communities across the United States face mounting vulnerabilities as critical infrastructure confronts simultaneous digital and physical threats. The latest federal funding initiative targets ten public water systems serving populations of 10,000 people or more, and the funding was competed through a Notice of Funding Opportunity. Officials structured the financial support through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity designed to fortify physical assets and digital networks alike.
Federal Funding Allocations Across Ten Water Systems
The $11.75 million package distributes specific awards to municipal and private water operators depending on their regional climate risks and digital security needs. In Florida, the City of Lake City secured $189,875 to increase the water system’s resilience to cybersecurity threats by modernizing their Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and pump control system. Meanwhile, the City of Orange City received $1,068,750 to increase drinking water system resilience to hurricanes through stormwater infrastructure and generator upgrades.
City of Bloomington, IN – $2,375,000 to increase the water system’s resilience to natural hazards and extreme weather events through facility upgrades, backup generators, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system upgrades.
City of Bay City, TX – $1,110,105 to increase water well resilience to hurricanes and other extreme events through the construction of a new well facility.
City of Coffeyville, KS – $687,240 to increase drinking water system resilience to extreme weather through water treatment plant repairs and the installation of a standby generator.
Denver Water, CO – $1,125,000 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires and extreme weather events through dam infrastructure upgrades that will reduce flood risk and improve operational reliability.
City of San Diego, CA – $2,375,000 to address natural hazard and cybersecurity vulnerabilities through Programmable Logic Controller replacement.
City of Anderson, CA – $804,530 to increase drinking water system resilience to drought and wildfire through water tank replacement and the installation of smart water monitoring devices and security cameras.
City of Hemet, CA – $1,150,000 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires and extreme heat through storage tank and transmission main upgrades.
California-American Water Company, Sacramento, CA – $864,500 to increase drinking water system resilience to wildfires through water system upgrades and the purchase of an emergency generator.
Addressing Escalating Digital and Physical Vulnerabilities
Cyberattacks on critical water infrastructure have increased significantly, including high-profile attacks this year targeting more than 100 drinking water and wastewater systems across 12 states. At the same time, water infrastructure must have built-in resiliency to withstand natural hazards, such as wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and flooding so they can continue their mission to deliver safe water uninterrupted to the communities they serve.
“American families, businesses, and schools rely on their local drinking water system to provide clean and safe water, day-in and day-out. Cyberattacks, wildfires, flooding, and other hazards represent a significant risk to water system operations, and EPA provides vital support to help increase resiliency to such threats,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer.
Beyond direct financial awards, the federal agency maintains ongoing technical support initiatives. In 2025, EPA proactively identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities at 277 water systems and worked to fix the issues with individualized solutions ranging from authentication protocols to enforcing strict access controls along with other technical updates and restrictions.
Complementary Technical Support and Future Resilience
Grant awards represent only a single component of broader federal efforts to secure critical infrastructure. The agency also released new and updated planning tools that water systems across the country can use to help prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents. EPA provides free cybersecurity technical assistance, assessments, training, and tools to help systems improve their cyber defenses.
“With over $11 million in grant funding, EPA is helping ten drinking water systems strengthen their resilience to these risks while advancing best practices within the water sector. This funding is just one part of the equation and complements the agency’s technical assistance work and partnership with federal agencies, states, and the water sector to address cyberattacks and natural hazards,” said Jess Kramer.
EPA Assistant Administrator
EPA anticipates awarding federal grants to these recipients after legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. These resources, and more, are readily accessible at www.epa.gov/cyberwater.