Efforts are made by Maxwell AFB and the City of Montgomery to maintain
and monitor control over vault access on the City’s property; however,
occasionally the uncontrolled portion of the vault is found unsecured by
Maxwell AFB personnel. The inability for the military to control access to the
utility vault beyond the installation’s controlled perimeter creates a
potential concern regarding keeping the drinking water supply safe for
Maxwell AFB.
Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board, and should be
sufficient to ensure the safety of the drinking water collection system.
Findings
Compatibility Assessment
Following the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, the US Congress passed
the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act
of 2002. Title IV of this Act is the Drinking Water Security and Safety
portion, which added a new section (1433) to the Safe Drinking Water Act,
stating that if community water systems serve over 3,300 people,
vulnerability assessments must be conducted on the system in order to
determine the vulnerability risk of potential acts of terrorism meant to
disrupt the system’s ability to provide the public with a safe and secure
source of drinking water. The assessment is required to include a review of
all pipes and conveyance mechanisms, as well as any physical barriers and
facilities used for all levels of treatment, storage, and distribution. The Act
identified basic potential security enhancements that could be employed,
including:
The purchase and installation of equipment for
detection of intruders,
The purchase and installation of fencing, gating,
lighting, or security cameras, and
The tamper proofing of manhole covers, fire hydrants,
and valve boxes.
The inconsistent control and monitoring efforts by the city of the
utility vaults located outside of Maxwell AFB’s perimeter poses a risk
to the security of the base’s safe drinking water.
Despite the federal regulations that apply to Montgomery Water
Works and Sanitary Sewer Board, there is still concern by Maxwell AFB
that the utility vaults off‐installation are not monitored regularly.
The Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board has approximately
80,000 water and sewer connections, and serves residents of Montgomery
and several surrounding rural utilities. Federal regulations apply to the
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Background Report
June 2017