The secure and uninterrupted delivery of water, explains Schneider Electric, depends on extensive and interconnected water supply and wastewater networks—systems that today face a rapidly escalating threat: cyberattacks.
From ransomware incidents to state-sponsored operations, cyber risks to water infrastructure are no longer theoretical. They are real, cross-border, and test the resilience of essential public services. For the management of water and wastewater organizations, cybersecurity has become a strategic priority.
Why Water Infrastructure Is Targeted
According to Schneider Electric, water networks are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals with diverse motivations: financial gain through ransomware, geopolitical destabilization by state actors, and hacktivist campaigns driven by environmental or political agendas.
The consequences of such attacks extend far beyond operational costs or temporary service disruptions. They can impact public health, economic stability, and national security. Since 2020, over 30 cyberattacks have been reported against drinking water and wastewater systems globally. Recently, Poland successfully thwarted an attack on a major city’s water supply system.
Not all defenses have been as effective. In 2024, the UK-based Southern Water reported a data breach in which personal information of up to 470,000 customers was stolen. The ransomware attack cost the company over £4.5 million, highlighting the substantial economic and operational risks.
Beyond financial implications, water utilities manage sensitive information—including consumption patterns, billing data, and critical infrastructure maps—that can be exploited for financial fraud or to plan physical attacks.
When Cyberspace Threatens Public Health
In extreme cases, cyberattacks can even compromise water quality. A notable example occurred in 2021 at a Florida water treatment facility, where hackers attempted to dangerously raise levels of sodium hydroxide. Timely operator intervention prevented disaster, but the incident underscored the potentially devastating consequences.
Regulatory authorities are responding to the growing threat. In the European Union, the NIS2 Directive expands cybersecurity obligations to both IT and operational technology (OT) systems, covering critical infrastructure such as water supply and wastewater networks.
In North America, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have warned of serious vulnerabilities in control systems (SCADA), particularly due to insecure human–machine interfaces (HMI). Their assessments indicate that over 300 U.S. water systems face critical or high-priority cyber vulnerabilities.
At the same time, many water networks continue to operate on legacy SCADA systems designed for functionality rather than security. Experts highlight deficiencies in encryption, access controls, and intrusion detection, compounded by the gradual integration of IoT devices and remote access, which dramatically expand the attack surface.
Municipalities and utility operators therefore face a complex combination of aging infrastructure, growing digital complexity, and increasingly sophisticated threats.
In an era of mounting climatic, geopolitical, and digital risks, the resilience of water networks has become a critical factor—not only for the sustainability of utilities themselves but also for broader economic and social stability.
