Federal funding is headed to the Monroe County Water Authority to strengthen cybersecurity protections for the region’s drinking water system.
The federal appropriations bill signed into law last month includes $1.092 million secured by Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Joe Morelle to upgrade the agency’s operational and information technology systems.
The funding will help secure servers that support critical operations and data storage, install new backup systems to allow for faster data recovery, and conduct resiliency testing and vulnerability assessments. It will also pay for physical security improvements and advanced threat detection software aimed at protecting water operations from cyberattacks.
Schumer said the investment will help ensure residents across the Rochester-Finger Lakes region continue to have access to clean drinking water. Gillibrand called the funding important for maintaining modern and reliable water systems, while Morelle said the project reflects the federal government’s role in supporting essential local infrastructure.
Officials say the improvements come as cyber threats targeting utilities and other critical infrastructure continue to increase nationwide. The upgrades are intended to keep water services safe, reliable, and affordable.
The project is authorized under Section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The water authority will work with federal partners in the coming months as the funding is finalized and implementation begins.
