SIKESTON -- The terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., have had a profound impact on the lives of nearly every American. But while most of America is still trying to grasp the reality of Sept. 11, the possibility of more attacks seems likely.
One such attack is chemical or biological warfare. By contaminating something such as the water supply, terrorists could kill many Americans. With this being a possibility, even rural utility companies such as the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities are taking notice.
"We would hope that it would be difficult for somebody to get in and contaminate our water supply," said Wayne McSpadden, executive director of the Sikeston BMU. "We keep all of our facilities under lock and key when we are not present."
McSpadden said the type of water system Sikeston has does not lend itself to contamination by terrorists.
"All of ours are ground water or supply wells, which are harder to access than a reservoir or anything like that," McSpadden said. "You just can't throw chemicals in as you go by. Someone would physically have to break into one of our buildings and get inside to contaminate the water."
Since the attacks, McSpadden said security has increased. "We have instructed all of our personnel to be more vigilant," McSpadden said. "They are to make sure that they don't leave areas unlocked when they leave. We are just making some steps as we see the need."
Sikeston is not the only utility increasing security in the wake of the attacks. Utility companies across the nation are beefing up protection.
"We constantly receive alert notification like that from the American Waterworks Association for example. They encourage all utility operators to take steps to enhance the security of the plant," McSpadden said.
While there is more effort being put into security, there is always a chance security can be breached.
"Our buildings are not manned 24 hours a day," McSpadden said. "All we do after normal working hours is lock them up. There are already intrusion alarms and glass breakage alarms in place to help us monitor forced entry. We like to think they are reasonably secure."
If by some chance the water is contaminated, it would not be long before it is discovered as the water quality is checked daily.
Still, the Sikeston BMU along with many other utility companies in the country will continue to look for ways to improve security after the tragedy of Sept. 11, McSpadden said.