Paris Bolsters Water Security After Terrorist Attacks

By Sara Jerome,
@sarmje

One strategy Parisian authorities used to safeguard the city after terrorist attacks last month was to boost water-supply security.

“Security around the water drunk by three million Parisians [was] increased following the terror attacks on the capital last week,” The Independent reported.

French Army troops were dispatched to protect water facilities in Paris. Authorities feared the possibility of a “chemical attack by Islamic State terrorists. Scientists were carrying out tests on the city’s water supply,” the Daily Mail reported on November 21. “Paris Water President Célia Blauel confirmed that water samples were being analysed and six vital sites were under armed guard.”

Blauel explained the approach.  “Checks are continuing,” she said. According to the report, she “added that the chlorine in the water had been increased to limit the risk of contamination. The water is always chlorinated for health reasons, but the dose has been raised.”

‘When the chlorine level drops, it means there is biological contamination,’ she said, per the report. “The chlorine level is controlled throughout the network. This allows us — if necessary — to precisely isolate the affected area without disrupting the entire network.”

Experts say other water networks may be vulnerable, as well, according to the report: “British chemical expert John Large said the UK was ‘very vulnerable’ to an attack on its water systems, adding: ‘Either by injecting a toxin into a pipe system, or by putting a large quantity of a toxic into a reservoir, the terrorists could pose a major threat.’”

These possibilities are not new. Water utilities have had security concerns on their radar for decades. Policy expert and Pacific Institute co-founder Peter Gleick explained the water utility perspective in a research paper:

There is a long history of water-related violence and conflicts, including what must be categorized as environmental terrorism targeting water resources and infrastructure. The threat of future attacks is real, and the plans for responding to such attacks appear to be inadequate. The actual risks of serious human health consequences are less clear, given the complex nature of our developed water systems, protections already put in place to identify and eliminate biological and chemical contaminants and the attractiveness and vulnerability of other targets.

He provided policy recommendations for security in this arena:

Among the best defenses against terrorist threats to water systems are public confidence in water management systems, rapid and effective water quality monitoring, and strong and effective information dissemination. New tools for communicating with water users may be valuable in countering the threat of water-related terrorism and ensuring public confidence and calm. Such tools will also have value during natural disasters and accidents.

For more on water facility security, visit Water Online’s Resiliency Solutions Center.

Image credit: "Paris," Moyan Brenn© 2010, used under an Attribution 2.0 Generic license:  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/