# Hacker tried to poison Florida city's water supply **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 8, 2021, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471 "2021-02-08T21:36:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/1 "2021-02-08T21:36:02Z")
> **[Hacker Tried to Poison Florida City's Water Supply, Police Say](https://www.vice.com/en/article/88ab33/hacker-poison-florida-water-pinellas-county)** > > The hacker tried to drastically increase sodium hydroxide levels in the water, Pinellas County, Florida, officials said on Monday. This is some seriously scary stuff. Evil as fuck too. “On Monday officials from Pinellas County in Florida announced that an unidentified hacker remotely gained access to a panel that controls the City of Oldsmar’s water treatment system, and changed a setting that would have drastically increased the amount of sodium hydroxide in the water supply.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/2 "2021-02-08T21:45:39Z")
I won’t lie, the very first thing that popped into my mind seeing that headline was this: > **[Evil Genius Gates Drops Windows 98 Into NYC Water Supply](https://www.theonion.com/evil-genius-gates-drops-windows-98-into-nyc-water-suppl-1819564734)** > > NEW YORK—Determined to circumvent Justice Department action forestalling the release of his powerful new operating system, Microsoft CEO and evil genius Bill Gates dropped Windows 98, coded into liquid form, into New York City’s water supply sometime... ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/3 "2021-02-08T21:47:23Z")
Jesus, God. They need to catch this guy and not only charge him with attempted murder, but put him up on terrorism charges. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/4 "2021-02-08T21:57:40Z")
The article doesn’t say how likely the hack would work. Just setting a value like that doesn’t mean that the machinery can follow through. And I assume that water quality monitors would quickly sound an alarm. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/5 "2021-02-08T21:59:39Z")
A friend worked at the local Lake Michigan water treatment plant. The inlet goes quite far from shore to get less turbid water. He had a telescope in his office aimed at water above the pipe. One day people where scuba diving in the area. He called the Coast Guard and they responded with visible Ar15s, to get the people to move. They were very worried about terrorism. Side note, during Winter storms the lake can get so churned up that the water can’t be used. They sweat bullets and hope the water clears up before the water towers all drain down. They stop pumping water and the sewage treatment plant goes down, and the coal fired power plant goes down, etc. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/6 "2021-02-08T22:02:23Z")
Just because the gun jams doesn’t mean the shooter doesn’t have intent. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/7 "2021-02-08T22:02:25Z")
From the article: “The intruder exited the system, and the plant operator immediately reduced the level back to the appropriate amount of one hundred,” Gualtieri added. Gualtieri said that steps were taken to “stop further remote access to the system” and **that there are other safeguards to protect the water integrity in place.** That is comforting. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/8 "2021-02-08T22:05:41Z")
Although it’s just the kind of thing that an official should say whether it’s true or not. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/9 "2021-02-08T22:06:36Z")
Totally agree. The hacker should be prosecuted as I’d the plan could succeed. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/10 "2021-02-08T23:36:30Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I won’t lie… ISWYDT! ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/11 "2021-02-09T00:05:38Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > From the article: > > “The intruder exited the system, and the plant operator immediately reduced the level back to the appropriate amount of one hundred,” Gualtieri added. Gualtieri said that steps were taken to “stop further **remote access to the system** ” My bolding. Apparently there is _plenty_ of remote access to a lot of critical infrastructure systems in the USA: water, electricity…all of it. Hackable as heck. We’ve been lucky so far. Can we count on being lucky forever? ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/12 "2021-02-09T00:24:47Z")
Hacking into water supplies was something I read in a James Patterson book ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/13 "2021-02-09T00:42:00Z")
Damn I wish that was on purpose. I pHeel pHoolish. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/14 "2021-02-09T00:46:42Z")
It was subconsciously on purpose. 🤔? ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/15 "2021-02-09T01:16:46Z")
I have read how industrial plcs were designed with no consideration of nefarious individuals. No security provisions at all. If you have the Allen Bradly software and access to the controller you can do as you please.i ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/16 "2021-02-09T02:43:21Z")
To be clear: this didn’t happen in Florida City, it happened in _a_ Florida city. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/17 "2021-02-09T03:40:35Z")
I’m curious: how far offshore do they go to get this water? Before he was finally caught, one of medical serial killer Michael Swango’s jobs was at a water treatment plant. He was fired for unrelated reasons before he could wreak any havoc, water quality-wise. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/18 "2021-02-09T03:52:15Z")
I will try to contact the person and get back to you. My memory is a mile. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/19 "2021-02-09T03:54:48Z")
I knew that Milwaukee drew their water source from a significant distance into Lake Michigan, so it would make sense that Chicago would probably go even farther. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471/20 "2021-02-09T03:56:53Z")
It’s official, everyone’s losing their damn minds lately. COULD the concentration have actually gotten to seriously dangerous, assuming other safeguards also failed? Seems like it would take vast quantities to reach that point. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hacker-tried-to-poison-florida-citys-water-supply/932471.md?page=2)