UpdatedSat, August 8, 2026 at 8:30 PM UTC
(NewsNation) — Cyberattacks targeting U.S. water systems have been reported in at least 12 states, sources familiar with the matter have confirmed to multiple news outlets.
The states affected include Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, New Jersey and South Dakota. In Minnesota, more than 30 community water systems were impacted
In Georgia, the Clayton County Water Authority confirmed that it “experienced a temporary disruption affecting a portion of its operational systems and water service in parts of north Clayton County.”
The utility, which serves about 300,000 customers in the Atlanta area, said cyber activity last month caused a drop in water pressure and prompted a boil water advisory. Service was restored within hours.
In some cases, cyberattacks have disrupted utilities’ ability to remotely monitor and control their system, forcing operators to switch to manual operations. Officials say hackers have gained remote access to equipment including pumps, valves and water-pressure controls.
Officials told ABC News that so far there has been no reported impact to the safety of drinking water.
Federal investigators suspect Iran-backed hackers may be responsible, but the U.S. government has not formally attributed the attacks to Iran.
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The FBI said in a statement it was aware of the attacks.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency warned in a letter that Iranian hackers have targeted water systems and other critical infrastructure in the past.
They identified the threat to “programmable logic controllers,” or PLCs, in water systems and urged infrastructure owners to remove publicly exposed PLCs from the internet.
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