The U.S. is facing a surge in advanced threats from nation-state actors like China and Russia, who are increasingly probing critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.

David Travers, director of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Water Emergency Response and Cybersecurity, noted how escalating risks to the nation's water sector has shifted over his 30-year career, how adversaries are leveraging emerging technologies like AI to improve attacks and how the agency is adapting.

He also detailed how partnerships with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI are improving incident reporting, plans for a new $9 million water system resilience grant and the top cybersecurity initiatives shaping 2026.