A consortium in Mesa County has received a grant of $412,558 from the Economic Development Commission to launch a pilot program focused on water management security. The initiative, announced on January 13, will be incubated at Colorado Mesa University’s Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center.
The project is led by the Resilient & Adaptive Cyber Protection of Industrial Control Devices & Systems (RAPIDS) consortium. Members include representatives from Mesa County, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction Economic Partnership, City of Grand Junction, the Colorado River District, and cybersecurity expert Kurtis Minder.
RAPIDS aims to protect critical infrastructure such as the Colorado River by developing secure systems for measuring and managing water resources. The pilot will focus on creating a Minimum Viable Measurement standard and establishing real-time data networks to enhance coordination and efficiency among agencies and users across the Colorado River Basin.
Water is essential to Colorado’s economy, but current data governance can be fragmented and insecure. There has been a significant increase in cyberattacks targeting water utilities, with ransomware incidents rising by 140% year-over-year.
Through its partnership with Colorado Mesa University, RAPIDS will work on defining standards for secure water measurement. The program intends to identify vulnerabilities in existing systems and develop methods to integrate and safeguard data from multiple sources. This process will result in a prototype demonstrating secure water technology solutions. Additionally, the effort includes developing workforce training programs tailored to future needs in secure water system management.
“Colorado Mesa University’s Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center is proud to partner with the RAPIDS consortium as the central hub for this innovative pilot program,” said Shannon Wadas, executive director of the Water Center. “The Water Center’s mission is rooted in addressing water issues in the Upper Colorado River Basin, and this collaboration will accelerate solutions for secure water measurement and workforce development — critical components in working toward a more resilient water future.”
