Governor Abbott, National Cyber Director Launch Project Watershed 250 To Defend Texas Water Supply - Office of the Texas Governor (.gov)

The program connects federal and private-sector capabilities with state and local expertise to protect water systems and other critical infrastructure across Texas. That includes the utilities serving cities like Lubbock, where the water supply runs through aging distribution networks stretching from the Ogallala Aquifer to every tap in town.

For people here, this matters in a straightforward way: if a cyberattack hits a water utility, it can disrupt treatment, pressure, and access. Project Watershed 250 is designed to get smaller providers, which often lack dedicated cybersecurity staff, the same level of protection that larger systems might already have, without making them pay for it.

Abbott called Texas "the state leader in the United States in cyber warfare" during a roundtable discussion tied to the launch, framing the program as both a defense measure and a statement about the state's position in national security conversations.

Water infrastructure has become a growing target for foreign and domestic cyberattacks. Texas operates more public water systems than any other state in the country.