Providing the population with high-quality drinking water is essential for a functioning economic system. Additionally, effective wastewater disposal is crucial to protect the environment from contamination and prevent the spread of diseases. The primary task of access control is to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining entry and to ensure smooth operations.

Why Security for Water Supply Companies is Important

On average, each German uses about 129 liters of drinking water per day for various purposes (Source: www.bdew.de). Additionally, around 9 billion m³ of wastewater is treated daily in Germany (Source: www.destatis.de). The provision of drinking water and wastewater disposal is handled by more than 6,000 water supply companies – ranging from a few large private companies to small municipal operations.

This complex network of dependencies makes the water industry a critical infrastructure. A functioning water industry relies not only on an intact power supply but also ensures uninterrupted supply to other critical sectors, such as the food industry and healthcare.

In Germany, high technical standards and strict legal regulations (e.g., WRRL, WHG, TrinkwV) govern the high quality and safety of water management. A modern access control system and a comprehensive security strategy are essential components to ensure the supply and integrity of the facilities.

Providers of the Water Industry*

Service: Drinking Water Supply

  • Extraction
  • Treatment
  • Distribution
  • Control and Monitoring

Service: Wastewater Disposal

  • Urban Drainage
  • Wastewater Treatment and Discharge into Water Bodies
  • Control and Monitoring

Source: Classification of Sectors and Critical Services according to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, as of July 2024

How Access Control Supports Your Diverse Requirements

As a long-standing partner and provider of security and access control solutions, Interflex understands the unique requirements of companies in the water industry. We support you in analyzing your existing security concept and systems, as well as selecting appropriate physical security measures. Together with you, we develop and implement a robust, reliable access control system that meets your security needs.

Access Restrictions for Sensitive Areas

Whether it’s control rooms, switchgear, sewage treatment plants, chemical storage, or pump stations – companies in the water supply and wastewater disposal sectors have sensitive areas that should only be accessible to authorized personnel. An access control solution helps clearly delineate these areas and electronically monitor and log access comprehensively.

Regulatory Requirements

Companies in the water industry are subject to numerous high technical standards and strict legal requirements to ensure the high quality of drinking water and environmental standards. Additionally, providers are required to meet new international regulations such as KRITIS regulations or NIS2 directives through appropriate physical security measures. Other international standards, like ISO/IEC27002:2022 for information security, also require adequate protection of security areas through access control. A modern access control system supports compliance with these applicable regulations.

Identification and Authentication of Employees, Suppliers, and Visitors

Operational errors and technical malfunctions arise from the access of untrained and unauthorized persons. Access control enables transparent monitoring of access via personalized identification media – based on role and responsibilities – or depending on working hours during shift changes, preventing the misuse of identification media.

Interflex Access Control:
Flexibility and Security for All Applications

Kritis: Zutrittskontrolle von Interflex für den Schutz von Wasseraufbereitungsanlagen

Protection against sabotage, vandalism, and unauthorized access

Locations: Water Treatment Plants

Suitable Solutions:

  • Multi-Factor Authentication: Modern ID methods (LEGIC advant, Mifare DESFire EV3), Key App on smartphone (3-Pass Authentication), and PIN codes at access terminals.
  • Biometric Scanner Solutions: From fingerprint 2D/3D verification to facial, iris, and hand vein recognition.
  • Alarm and Emergency Management in the central system IF-6040: Documentation of unauthorized access and security-relevant incidents, as well as automatic notification of security personnel, for example, through door status monitoring.
  • Vandalism-resistant access terminals for outdoor installations.

Your Benefits:

  • With modern, encrypted authentication and ID methods, you can meet the requirements of security concepts and establish a high level of protection for your organization and critical facilities.
  • Effective protection against unauthorized access by third parties to particularly sensitive areas reduces the risk of sabotage and vandalism for you.
  • In the event of a security incident or during audits, you are always able to provide information about all granted access rights and can demonstrate who had access to which area at any time through comprehensive logging of entries.
Learn more!
Kritis: Zutrittskontrolle von Interflex für den Schutz von Pumpstationen und Reservoirs für Wasserverteilung

Protection of Water Quality

Locations: Pumping Stations and Reservoirs for Water Distribution

Suitable Solutions:

  • Central System IF-6040: Instead of decentralized control, a central control of all connected facilities and access points with audit-proof logging of all access events in one system – in real-time. Additional integration of a control center.
  • Multi-Level Access Control and Approval Workflows: Access rights for employees can be limited based on roles and functions, as well as location and time. For instance, during shift changes, access to facilities can be controlled and logged based on working hours. Additional security is provided by a review of requested access rights by security personnel.
  • Third-Party Portal: To manage access rights and verify the identities of external service providers and suppliers for specific areas and times, for example, for service technicians and engineers in maintenance, repair, and servicing.

Your Benefits:

  • By consolidating all monitoring solutions in a control center and all existing access systems – especially for remote, decentralized facilities – into a central solution, you can review security measures more holistically. A swift response is also possible in the event of a security incident.
  • A high degree of automation in granting access rights saves time and relieves your security organization. This also ensures compliance with important KRITIS audit requirements and allows for traceable verification of granted rights at any time.
  • The high integrability of our solutions into a comprehensive security concept enhances your protective measures by allowing integration with other measures like video surveillance or alarm systems, to prevent break-ins outside regular working hours, for example.
Learn more!
Kritis: Zutrittskontrolle von Interflex für den Schutz von Verwaltungs- und Bürogebäuden der Wasserwirtschaft

Protection of Sensitive Data and Technical Equipment

Locations: Administrative and Office Buildings

Suitable Solutions:

  • Scalable and Flexible System IF-6040: For defining and cross-organizational control of access rights, access profiles, and room zones with different access restrictions.
  • Encrypted, Certificate-Based PKI Communication: Using proprietary Interflex certificates or customer-specific encryption to protect networked systems from unauthorized attacks.
  • Visitor Management: With a standardized process from invitation, through reception, to verification of personal details and identities, including safety instructions and audit-proof documentation of visits.

Your Benefits:

  • With an adaptable system, you can quickly and timely respond to changing security requirements and personnel needs. Additionally, you gain transparency, simplified administration, and a comprehensive overview of your rights and role management within the organization.
  • A flexible software solution like IF-6040 allows your security organization to individually adjust access to specific critical facilities at any time.
  • Furthermore, you effectively and traceably prevent unauthorized and untrained visitors and service providers from staying on your premises. This protects your company’s assets and your personnel.
Learn more!

Secure Your Business:
5 Steps to a Reliable Access Control System

1
Analysis

Comprehensive analysis of your security requirements and existing systems

2
Planning

Development of a tailored security concept

3
Installation

Installation and configuration of the relevant components

4
Handover

Training for safe handling of your system

5
Support

Regular and reliable service and support

Well Informed:
Frequently Asked Questions about the Water Industry

Various stakeholders are responsible for the provision and treatment of clean water. These include “water producers,” which consist of public, private, and municipal entities. “Water distributors,” on the other hand, ensure the distribution of water through pipelines, pumping stations, and distribution facilities to households, businesses, and other consumers.

Additionally, there are research institutions that, through their projects and studies, ensure optimal use of water resources and improvement of treatment technologies.

Environmental protection agencies and government and regional bodies, which oversee and regulate standards and guidelines and consider environmental aspects, are also key stakeholders in this critical infrastructure sector.

Typical application areas include restricting access to sensitive areas such as control rooms, pumping stations, or sewage treatment plants. This also involves regulating employee access through personalized, unique identification measures.

Visitor management ensures temporary and localized access, especially when regular visits for inspections or maintenance work are expected. In the case of external service providers, access can also be restricted to certain time periods and areas, documented, and transparently monitored.

In the context of emergency management or evacuations, access control can quickly and easily control or restrict access points.

One of the main threats to water industry companies is unauthorized access by intruders to sensitive areas such as waterworks, sewage treatment plants, or pumping stations, especially when these facilities are remote. This can lead to acts of sabotage and vandalism, theft of equipment, or even risks to water quality due to improper handling or the use of chemicals.

Internal threats from the company’s own personnel, as well as external service providers for maintenance and repair activities, are also among these risks, especially if they gain uncontrolled access to sensitive areas.

Cyberattacks are also current security risks, as facilities are increasingly operated in a technically networked and automated manner. Additional risks include natural disasters, as well as chemical and biological threats.

Do you have any questions? We are happy to help you!

+49 711 1322 – 0

interflex.info@allegion.com

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