As worries about terrorism grow throughout the nation, the State College Borough Water Authority (SCBWA) has continued to take precautions against possible attacks on the borough's water system.

SCBWA Executive Director Max Gill said the authority is in the process of completing a vulnerability assessment, which is due to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by Dec. 31.

He said some steps to secure and monitor the water system were taken after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The December deadline is for all medium-sized community water systems that serve populations of 50,000 to 99,999.

The assessments for large systems, which supply 100,000 people or more, were due Monday. Smaller systems, excluding those serving less than 3,300, have until June 30, 2004.

The EPA is required to work with water utilities to protect infrastructure and public health according to the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.

Gill said there are various security measures being taken, which include ID-checking, alarm systems and electronic water analyzers.

He said extra precautions are taken when the nation's terror alert level reaches orange, or "high."

The analyzers continuously monitor the quality of water and if any contaminants are found it sends an alarm, Gill said.

EPA spokesman Roy Seneca said the assessments look at any areas where security measures can be improved.

These documents are not considered public records and will be stored in a secure location at an EPA office.

Within six months of completing the assessment, the SCBWA must have an emergency response plan certified by the EPA.

Emergency response plans are to address five major issues: threat of or actual water contamination, threat of contamination at a major event, notification from health officials of possible contamination, intrusion through data systems, and significant structural damage from an attack.

Gill said the SCBWA already has an emergency response plan in place which follows a format from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Jack McKernan, who performs source water assessment for the DEP Northcentral region, said the response plans look at both natural and human threats to the water systems and have an emergency response for each scenario.

McKernan said the SCBWA has no violation history, and completes all necessary steps in maintaining its water system.

"It's one of the top-notch water suppliers in its region," McKernan said.

He said emergency kits were made after the Sept. 11 attacks to combat any attacks on water supplies.

Also, when terror alert levels change, DEP contacts water suppliers to make sure extra security measures are taken.

Terrorists seem to go for larger-impact attacks and it does not seem likely that they would attack central Pennsylvania, Gill said.

He added, however, that security still is an issue.

"We have a responsibility to take measures that we think are necessary," he said.