Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross launched Project Watershed 250 on Monday, a new initiative connecting Texas water and wastewater utilities with cyber defense resources at no cost.
Abbott announced the effort during a roundtable discussion in San Antonio with Cairncross, Chief of the Texas Cyber Command Vice Admiral (Ret.) TJ White and private-sector leaders partnering on the project.
The initiative pairs federal and private-sector capabilities with state and local expertise to protect water systems and other critical infrastructure, according to Abbott’s office.
Project Targets Texas Water Infrastructure
Project Watershed 250 is a joint effort involving the Office of the National Cyber Director and private-sector partners. Those partners will provide cyber defense resources to Texas water and wastewater utilities at no cost.
Many rural providers lack the resources needed to defend their systems, according to Abbott’s office. The governor’s office said the Texas Cyber Command and Project Watershed 250 will help close that gap and make Texas water systems harder targets for China, Iran and other hostile foreign adversaries.
“Project Watershed 250 will connect water utility providers with cyber defense resources at no cost by leveraging the experience of private sector businesses with the expertise of the Texas Cyber Command,” Abbott said.
Texas Cyber Command Plays Key Role
Abbott made establishing the Texas Cyber Command an emergency item during the 89th Legislative Session. Lawmakers subsequently passed HB 150, creating the Texas Cyber Command as a state agency responsible for cybersecurity operations and incident response involving state and local systems and critical infrastructure.
Abbott signed the legislation into law in San Antonio in June 2025, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Abbott’s office has described the command as the largest state-based cybersecurity department in America.
The command defends state and local systems, coordinates incident response and works with federal partners to protect critical infrastructure, according to the governor’s office.
Project Watershed 250 builds on those capabilities by combining state, federal and private-sector resources to strengthen cyber defenses for Texas water systems.
