SAN ANTONIO — Texas has been selected as the first state for the Project Watershed 250 cybersecurity pilot, initiated by the Trump administration through the White House Office of the National Cyber Director.
Announced Monday, Aug. 31, by White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross, in partnership with the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Cyber Command (TXCC), this program unites federal capabilities, private-sector technology, and the frontline expertise of Texas water utilities to defend the systems that 31 million Texans depend on.
The Project Watershed 250 launch event, hosted at UT San Antonio’s San Pedro I building, where TXCC is headquartered, delivered a clear message: States and the federal government each bring unique capabilities required to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure and national defense, and the place to prove it is Texas.
Why Texas: As the eighth-largest economy in the world, Texas operates critical infrastructure of national consequence. Every day, Texans across the state rely on more than 7,400 public water systems and more than 3,000 wastewater treatment facilities. With TXCC’s operational readiness and the willingness of utility and private sector partners to fortify Texas water and wastewater systems, Texas is uniquely positioned to serve as the proof of concept for protecting essential services nationwide.
“This pilot marks a decisive step in how Texas defends the water systems that are vital to our families, businesses, and communities,” said TXCC Chief Timothy “TJ” White. “We are very grateful the White House chose Texas to set the national standard, and we intend to earn that trust. When Project Watershed 250 succeeds here, it becomes a model every state can follow.”
Already Standing Watch: TXCC has been actively tracking malicious cyber activity targeting water and wastewater system operators across multiple U.S. states, in which threat actors disrupted internet‑facing programmable logic controllers (PLCs), leading to operational impacts at affected facilities. In response, TXCC issued a cyber advisory through the Texas Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (TX-ISAO), providing localized analysis of recent malicious activity targeting the water and wastewater sector, along with mitigation guidance and additional resources.
Project Watershed 250 accelerates and strengthens that work. Through the program, participating Texas water utilities will gain access to advanced cybersecurity services, including comprehensive cyber assessments, hands‑on remediation support, and emerging defensive measures. The objective is to protect Texas’s critical infrastructure by mapping sector‑wide needs and vulnerabilities, sharpening insight into who and how adversaries target critical systems and shifting from reactive incident response to proactive risk reduction and resilience.
TXCC is unwavering in its mission to protect the state’s critical infrastructure, one of the Command’s six operational cyberspace terrains. The Command extends its gratitude to the Trump administration for selecting Texas to lead this effort; to Governor Abbott for his commitment to protect the people, government, and critical infrastructure of Texas; and to the industry partners who joined Monday’s launch and are stepping forward to help defend Texans’ essential services.
Interested in participating? Vendors, critical infrastructure, and applied research partners interested in the pilot program can reach the TXCC Project Watershed 250 Team at watershed250@txcc.texas.gov.