DES MOINES — U.S. Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Don Davis (NC-01) introduced bipartisan legislation to help rural communities defend against cyber attacks that could shut off the water supply to Iowa homes, businesses, and farms. The Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act of 2025 would update and expand the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Circuit Rider Program to include robust cyber training and technical expertise for rural water systems.
“The reality is that Iowa’s water supply is vulnerable. A single cyber attack would have a devastating impact across our rural communities, making it a priority to safeguard our water systems and deliver security for Iowans,” said Rep. Nunn. “This bipartisan bill would provide critical resources to prevent cyber attacks and bolster cyber defenses so that all Iowans can rest easy at night knowing our water supply is safe.”
According to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), 80% of the country is served by 152,000 public drinking water systems and 16,000 publicly owned wastewater systems. Alarmingly, recent inspections revealed 70% of water utility companies in the U.S. do not meet cyber security standards. In 2024, the largest regulated water utility company in the U.S. fell victim to a cyber attack.
The USDA and the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) started the Circuit Rider Program in 1980 to provide training and technical assistance for rural water systems. However, circuit riders are not currently equipped to provide cybersecurity-specific support to help small water and wastewater organizations bolster their defenses.
“Our agricultural communities and rural water systems are critical to our national defense, and I’m glad to introduce this essential bipartisan legislation that delivers security for rural America,” said Rep. Davis. “We must ensure our water systems that rural communities and farmers rely on have the necessary protections to successfully guard against cyber-attacks.”
The Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act of 2025 would direct the USDA to expand the Circuit Rider Program to provide technical cybersecurity assistance to assess system efficacy in protecting against cyber threats. Circuit riders will help to evaluate the cybersecurity of small water utilities, develop protocols to enhance cyber defenses, and provide assistance to supplement inadequate cyber protection plans.
Text of the bill can be found here.
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