OPINION
Many Americans face water insecurity due to groundwater depletion, aging infrastructure, and contamination, devastatingly affecting public health and community well-being.
In the United States, many people take access to water for granted, but an estimated 2.2 million Americans live in homes without running water or basic plumbing.
Due to aging water infrastructure and failing septic systems, millions nationally lack adequate sanitation facilities to dispose of human waste and treat wastewater safely.
Not only do we have water contamination and scarcity issues nationwide, but in New Mexico, some of our drinking water systems are losing 40-70% of treated drinking water due to aging infrastructure, including underground distribution pipes.
In Roswell, New Mexico, residents are preparing for a substantial increase in their city water bills, due to decades of neglect that have left the city's water infrastructure severely outdated.
Residents should anticipate an approximate $30 rise in their monthly water bills, which would be a horrific blow to our most vulnerable citizens.
New Mexico's, and our nation's, infrastructure has been neglected for too long. Ordinary Americans are experiencing the consequences of aging and fragile water infrastructure.
Not only is the water infrastructure not environmentally or structurally sound, but the system also leaves Americans at risk of attacks by foreign adversaries.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently warned water systems nationwide about their vulnerability to cyber attacks after finding that 70% of systems were not adequately protected.
Just this year, Russia and China have either launched cyber-attacks on our infrastructure or are preparing to.
According to national security officials, China's extensive Volt Typhoon hacking collective has been infiltrating critical infrastructure and positioning itself along compromised internet routing equipment to prepare for further attacks.
Most recently, hackers linked to Russia have breached several rural U.S. water systems, posing physical safety threats.
These attacks would have unparalleled impacts on the American public-including alteration of chemical levels in the water, disruption of service, and damage to equipment.
The failure to bolster security leaves Americans at risk of attack by foreign adversaries and other non-state actors, and they will only become more likely without the necessary improvements to the security of our infrastructure.
It is unacceptable that the government has let America's essential utilities become outdated, as well as an easy target for our adversaries.
While we are beginning to see tiny amounts trickle into our state from the feds during this election year, most of that funding is going to wetlands over drinking water infrastructure.
More is needed to fix our water system, prevent rising consumer costs, and protect our systems from attacks.
As technology changes, our infrastructure systems must adapt to emerging threats like cyberattacks.
Instead, the government has left Americans vulnerable to disaster by not protecting them from future cyberattacks.
Our government must prioritize sustainable, long-lasting, modern infrastructure while protecting Americans' water from foreign threats.
Investing time and money in updating an outdated system only to have it undermined by external forces would be an absolute waste.
Warfare is changing, and we need to ensure that our communities are safe from the evil powers of the world.
New Mexico State Rep. Stefani Lord (Dist. 22) serves as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives. She was Elected in 2020.
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