About Terrorist Attack

Critical infrastructure is defined as all vital procedures related to the community's health, security, or well-being. They are involved in water supply, telecommunications, agriculture, and electricity, among other things. These are necessities that the community can live without, but their absence has disastrous repercussions. Terrorism has become a more serious danger in recent years. Its threat pervades all activities and processes related to human well-being. This essay will analyze the consequences of terrorism on water supply while also considering the concerns that it poses and will eventually conclude.  Most water systems in the US constructed about fifty years ago. During this period, terrorist attacks were less compared to today’s occurrences. For instance, bioterrorism seemed to have a very low probability of occurrence then, due to the little distribution of hydraulic information. Therefore, the builders did not consider terrorism with a lot of attention as it needs today, (Copeland et al, 2010). It is worth noting that with the increase of terrorism attacks on other areas, the likelihood of terrorism attacks on water supply systems is also on the increase. Terrorists are coming up with new strategies, and the availability of contaminants is much higher than it was when the water systems were built.

Destructive intentions of terrorists on water supply

The water supply should meet the following criteria: be safe for use, be supplied under the right pressure and be available in the right quantities that are demanded. Terrorists major on the disruption of the criteria mentioned above, which means that they can choose to attack one or more out of the three. The following are ways in which the water supply can be disrupted:

Through physical destruction

Physical destruction of the water supply system is more likely than other practices such as contamination. The disruption of the pressure to ensure that the consumers do not receive the expected water quantities can hinder many operations, including firefighting operations. Physical damage also entails the damage of equipment using explosives and the damage of other infrastructures that are interdependent with the water supply such as power stations and the personnel. The reason why this is the most vulnerable way of water supply terrorism is because guns and other explosives are much easier to obtain than the contaminants. It’s also easier to attack since the attacks can be done at any point during transportation and not only at the plants, (Gleick, 2009).

Bioterrorism

This refers to chemical contamination of water, whereby toxic chemicals or microbiological agents can be used. This calls for protection of US Air Force water systems and also a major concern on the release of sewage. Biological agents are Weapons of Mass Destruction since they can lead to mass casualties once employed. The main threat is through the air in interior subways. The chemicals that are likely to be used are those with high inhalation toxicity and high dermal. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is stocking up hospitals with vaccines and paying more attention to observing the occurrence of outbreaks that are related to bioterrorism, (Meinhardt et al, 2004).

Backflow

A release of aqueous firefighting foam into the supply system can lead to the backflow of water if the pump has no backflow prevention device. This occurs when the pump that is feeding the foam has more pressure than the pump that is transporting the utility. Most supplies do not have backflow prevention devices which increase the vulnerability of most homes, (Wolfe, 2010).

Impact of Terrorist Attacks on Water Supply towards the Community

Due to the critical need of water on most industrial activities and for the human race survival, any attack on water has dire consequences on the human race. A short-term disruption of the water system can cost the community a lot regarding lives and resources. It is worth noting that most medical practitioners have little or no knowledge concerning diagnosis and treatment of water-borne diseases. This shows that they are poorly equipped to detect and respond to terrorist attacks on water. The results of terrorist attacks on water are therefore likely to be severe, due to the knowledge gap that exists in medical practitioners. Because most public houses and homes use public water supply also makes it clear that the potential effect of contamination is very high. It can, therefore, lead to loss of lives and harsh economical effects due to interruption of most industrial activities, (Wolfe, 2008).

Conclusion

The threat of terrorist attack on water supply is not a new issue. Water supply is among the most vulnerable critical infrastructures in the US. This is due to the strategic impact that water terrorism has on human survival, industrial processes stages, and most importantly health preservation. It is therefore important for critical infrastructure personnel to assess their vulnerability and take quick action towards prevention of any form of attacks. Preventive steps on the security of water can only be taken once the vulnerability is determined. The steps should include quick public notification, redundancy of operations, and availability of emergency water supply, among others.























References

Copeland, C., & Cody, B. (2010). Terrorism and security issues facing the water infrastructure

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Gleick, P. H. (2009). Water conflict chronology. The world’s water, 2008-2009: The biennial

report on freshwater resources, 151-196.

Meinhardt, P., & Dispersal, A. (2004). Physician Preparedness for Acts of Water Terrorism.

Wolfe, T. D. (2008). U.S. Patent No. 7,454,295. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark

Office.

Wolfe, T. D. (2010). U.S. Patent No. 7,698,073. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark

Office.