Newsletter #104 for August 2024

Private Water Network Launches The Role of Environmental Public Health in Private Well Safety Learning Series

The National Environmental Health Association's Private Water Network has recently launched the free, virtual learning series "The Role of Environmental Public Health in Private Well Safety." The series consists of three learning modules, resources and tools, case studies, and quizzes which have been developed to educate environmental health professionals and equip them with the skills to work in the field of private water. 

Ideal for new professionals entering the field, the series is worth three Continuing Education credits and NEHA membership is not required to enroll. Follow these instructions to enroll:

1. Log in to MyNEHA or create an account if you don't have one already.

2. Select "Shop" on the top menu, and select "Browse NEHA Bookstore."

3. Select "Refine" in the left menu and select category “NEHA Webinars."

4. Select “Private Water Network, The Role of Environmental Public Health in Private Well Safety Learning Series” and click "Add to Cart."

5. When ready to check-out, click on the shopping cart icon located in the top right-hand corner of the page to go to “My Cart”, and click "Process Order.”

6. When the order is complete, you should receive two emails: a) An order summary and b) Email instructions on how to access the courses.

If you need assistance enrolling, please email support@neha.org.

Now Available in Wisconsin:

Updated Well Driller and Water Quantity Data Viewers

More from the Wisconsin DNR:
DNR Warns That Heavy Rain and Flooding Can Contaminate Private Wells (July 12)

Cybersecurity Threat Advisory: Lessons Learned

On July 3, 2024, WaterISAC sent out an advisory to its members advising them to take caution when opening emails from seemingly "trusted" sources. This was sent after WaterISAC was made aware of a second phishing attempt against Maine water operators and well drillers that was disguised as an information verification form from Maine.gov.

A screenshot of the attempted phishing email is shown below:

Now that phishing attempts are so common across the water sector, it is important to be vigilant when opening emails and clicking any links within. WaterISAC provided a list of lessons that can be learned from incidents like this, as well as resources to help water and wastewater systems get guidance on how to strengthen cybersecurity measures. These lessons and resources are shared below:

Lessons Learned

• Share Information on Threats. In these cases, state agencies quickly sent out a broadcast alert to targeted audiences warning of the phishing attempt.
• Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT).  There is a lot of information on the internet about our water systems. It is useful to know what public information is available. In some cases, detailed and sensitive information can be removed. In other cases, the information is intentionally part of the public record. Therefore, we need to be aware of this class of data so we are not fooled into trusting whoever has it because we believe only privileged sources have access to it.
• Practice Phishing Drills. Part of every utility’s cybersecurity awareness training should include regular phishing drills for staff. CISA has free resources to assist, such as, Teach Employees to Avoid Phishing.
• Not Sure, Call. If you are not sure that the source of an email is legitimate, call the supposed sender through previously established phone numbers to confirm the request’s validity.
• Fall for a Phish, Contact Your IT Department. If you realize after the fact that you fell for a phishing email, or you think you might have, call your information technology group to find out what to do. Everyone except the attacker, will be glad you did.

Additional Water and Wastewater Systems Sector Guidance Resources:

• Recognize and Report Phishing | CISA
• Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Water and Wastewater Utilities | WaterISAC
• Top Cyber Actions for Securing Water Systems | CISA
• Water and Wastewater Sector - Incident Response Guide | CISA
• CISA's Free Cyber Vulnerability Scanning for Water Utilities | CISA
• Water and Wastewater Cybersecurity | CISA

Tap Talk — Cybersecurity: Helpful Resources for Small Systems

Cybersecurity is becoming ever more important across the water industry. In this episode of Tap Talk, Steve and Jennifer discuss how essential it is to protect the digital systems at even the smallest of water systems and the basic steps that those smallest utilities can take with Jennifer Lyn Walker, the Director of Infrastructure Cyber Defense for WaterISAC. 

Listen to the podcast episode here.

From the Help Center

Upcoming Webinars & Recent Recordings

Wells and Groundwater in the News

Partner Events & Workshops

Highlighted Resource

Featured Video: Missouri health leaders report elevated lead levels in private drinking water wells

This video, brought to you by KY3 News in Springfield, Missouri, covers reports of elevated lead levels in private drinking water wells in the area of Seymour, Missouri. State DNR officials were set to visit the area in June to test for unsafe levels of lead after county health officials discovered higher than normal lead concentrations during well sampling tests.

Watch the video.

PrivateWellClass.org is a free, grant-funded service to support private well owners and the professionals that work with these wells. The program seeks to raise awareness of private well issues and help well owners understand their responsibilities to be a good steward of their well and water source. The Private Well Class, developed at the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is a collaboration with the Rural Community Assistance Partnership with funding from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Call us at 1-866-945-0699 for assistance.

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