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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20240736.tiffMarch 18, 2024 The Honorable Michael Bennet 261 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202)224-5852 OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PHONE: 970-400-4200 FAX: 970-336-7233 1150 O STREET P.O. BOX 758 GREELEY, CO 80632 The Honorable John Hickenlooper 374 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202)224-5941 Re: Support for City of Greeley Water & Wastewater Systems Cybersecurity Upgrades Dear Senator Bennet and Senator Hickenlooper, On behalf of the Weld County Commissioners, I am pleased to share my sincere support for Greeley's Water & Wastewater Systems Cybersecurity project congressional -directed spending (CDS) request under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), State and Tribal Assistance Grants, Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRF), Drinking Water and Clean Water SRF, Clean Water programs. Greeley's Water & Sewer Department is applying for funding to make necessary upgrades to the System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) components in the city's water and wastewater systems that will protect the system from malicious and criminal attacks aimed at causing damage to infrastructure, endangering public health or the environment, or profiting from the city. The upgrades to hardware, software, SCADA devices, and communication infrastructure will improve security, monitoring, and backup systems, while ensuring that the city continues to benefit from the efficiency, automation, safety, and remote monitoring provided by SCADA. The proposed project will produce a net reduction in operating costs for the SCADA systems upon completion. The city's water department is a large regional water system with facilities in Larimer and Weld Counties, Colorado providing drinking water to the City of Greeley and Garden City; wholesale drinking water to the City of Evans, the Town of Milliken, and the Town of Windsor; and emergency interconnects with public water districts in both counties. Customers served by Greeley water and wastewater in the region include major food producers, industrial manufacturing, and agricultural suppliers. The proposed upgrades will ensure uninterrupted drinking water and the responsible handling of wastewater for residents and these critical businesses. The project will bring the city's water and wastewater system into compliance with proposed new EPA cybersecurity regulations for public systems. The project was included in the 2024 Intended Use Plans for the Colorado Drinking Water Revolving Fund (DWRF) and the Colorado Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund (WPCRF) and will be submitted for inclusion in the 2025 Intended Use Plans as well. It meets the criteria for funding from the state's revolving fund loan programs. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and associated agencies will administer any award of CDS funds to this project under the DWRF and WPCRF programs. If you require further information concerning this project, please contact me at (970)400-4207. Sincerely, l" Kevin Ross Chair, Weld County Board of Commissioners mmvn► CCS-F;0AS 2024-0736 Hello