Critical Infrastructure (State & Local level)

Critical Infrastructure: Water Treatment Systems in Atlanta Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Critical Infrastructure: Water Treatment Systems in Atlanta The nation’s water infrastructure must be protected and enhanced through critical strategies prescribed in the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector Specific Plan (SSP) considering the associated challenges. In Atlanta, there are several risks regarding Georgia’s water and wastewater systems. Between 2012 and 2017, the city’s supply contained eight contaminants beyond health guidelines. Some of the detected contaminants were bromodichloromethane, chloroform, and hexavalent chromium, all of which have been linked to possible health effects including cancer (Rao et al., 2024). Similar tests from 2016 to 2018 have also indicated that 90 percent of water samples had lead levels up to 88.5 parts per billion (ppb), far above the legal limit of 15 ppb. In addition, Atlanta’s largest wastewater treatment facility, the R.M. Clayton Water Reclamation Center, has been releasing pollutants, including bacteria harmful to humans, into the Chattahoochee River sinc...