Is Miramar’s water system vulnerable to cyber attacks? City asks state for help
The City of Miramar is asking the state for $300,000 to upgrade cybersecurity protections at its water treatment facilities.
The reason: The city wants to better protect its drinking-water operations for more than 140,000 residents.
City officials say the upgrades are needed to prevent service disruptions and ensure rapid detection of cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure.
The improvements would also help the city comply with new state and federal recommendations urging municipalities to secure SCADA systems, the digital controls that operate pumps, filtration systems and chemical-treatment processes.
The money request, called a Local Funding Initiative Request, was filed with the Florida Legislature last month by Florida Sen. Barbara Sharief, a Democrat who represents South Broward’s District 35, which includes Miramar and Pembroke Pines.
“By enhancing cybersecurity and system reliability, this project will reduce the risk of service disruptions, protect against cyber threats, and ensure compliance with state and federal standards for utility operations,” Sharief wrote in the proposal for the $300,000.
Cybersecurity vulnerabilities in water plants have become a national concern.
Miramar’s main water facility is the West Water Treatment Plant, 4100 S. Flamingo Road, which produces nearly 11.5 million gallons of water per day. The plant services residents and businesses west of Palm Avenue to Southwest 196th Avenue.
This year, the city has launched several major projects to upgrade its water facility and accommodate growth.
The latest begins Wednesday, Dec. 10, and involves the digging of two new drinking water wells into the Biscayne Aquifer, which will increase the city’s water output by 6.2 million gallons by 2027.
In October, the plant held a ribbon cutting for a new water treatment lab named after City Manager Roy L. Virgin, who began his career at the plant.
In her request, Sharief said Miramar must strengthen defenses to prevent “disruptions or malicious intrusions.”
“Local Funding Initiative Requests,” like the one filed by Sharief, get approved in the Florida Legislature, which will meet from Jan. 13-March 13. Each request, called “member projects,” is assigned to committees and linked to a bill or budget item.
It then moves through the normal committee process in both chambers. If approved by both chambers and if it makes it into the budget, it can be approved or vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 1:54 PM.
