Automated and enhanced background checks for the Wastewater Sector
The wastewater sector plays a crucial role in critical societal infrastructure. The sector is responsible for the collection, treatment, and discharge of wastewater and is therefore closely linked to public health, environmental protection, and security of supply. With the NIS2 and CER Directives, stricter requirements are imposed on critical entities regarding personnel security, access control, and the continuous monitoring of employees and suppliers with access to critical facilities, systems, and information. This also places new demands on how wastewater utilities document and follow up on background checks, particularly for operational staff, technicians, external suppliers, and IT access. P‑Secure manages the entire process digitally — from initial hiring or contract execution to ongoing re‑checks — with full traceability and in compliance with the GDPR.
Compliance challenges in the Wastewater Sector
Wastewater utilities must ensure that a large number of employees, suppliers, and partners across operational organizations and supply chains undergo relevant background checks. At the same time, documentation must be up to date, consistent, and at all times demonstrably accurate, traceable, and audit‑ready for authorities and inspections.
In practice, this creates significant compliance challenges. The sector is characterized by:
- A large number of external actors with temporary or recurring access
- Operational staff with access to facilities, pumps, surveillance systems, and physical installations
- Hiring processes combined with increasing demands for continuous monitoring
This increases the risk of inconsistency, manual errors, and time‑consuming administration related to ongoing checks, re‑screening, and documentation.
Useful features for Wastewater Utilities
P‑Secure automates and standardizes key parts of the background screening process and adapts it to the needs of wastewater utilities. Automation ensures that background checks are carried out accurately and on time, reduces the risk of human error, and significantly eases administrative workloads. The solution supports, among other things:
ID and CV check
Verification of identity, CV screening, and employment history, including gaps in employment
Criminal record check
Automatic check of criminal record
Re-check
Ongoing re‑checks and follow‑up in case of changes in access rights
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Supply chain management, including audits
Regulatory requirements and P‑Secure’s recommendations
At present, regulatory requirements for critical entities in this sector are limited.
Requirements:
- ID verification (CER Directive)
- Criminal record check (CER Directive)
Security clearance
Where roles require a security clearance, P‑Secure recommends conducting background checks that align with the criteria for a security clearance in the period leading up to the completion of the security clearance process.
P‑Secure further recommends, with reference to practices from, among others, the energy and utilities sector:
- Personal data
- CV screening – typically at least five years back, including documentation of gaps
- Education
- Residence and work permits
- Residence abroad exceeding six months (five years back)
- Professional roles
- Photo ID (passport and/or driver’s license)
This provides a comprehensive, risk‑based decision‑making framework that can be adapted for permanent employees, new hires, suppliers, and others.
NIS2 and CER
P‑Secure supports compliance with the NIS2 Directive on the security of network and information systems and the CER Directive on the resilience of critical entities. Both directives impose increased requirements on how wastewater utilities identify, manage, and document risks related to personnel security, access control, and organizational resilience.
With P‑Secure, wastewater utilities gain a tool that integrates personnel processes, risk management, and compliance into a single, unified solution.
The need for modern background Screening
Implement automated and compliant background checks
Security, documentation, and resilience requirements in the wastewater sector are continuously becoming more stringent. At the same time, pressure is increasing on organizations that still manage background checks manually or in a fragmented manner.
Benefits of automated background checks:
- Reduces administrative workload
- Shortens time‑to‑hire
- Increases transparency and consistency
- Strengthens audits and internal controls
- Ensures ongoing compliance
- Can be applied to both employees and the supply chain
Continuous compliance
More than a background check
P‑Secure is not merely a tool for one‑off background checks, but a platform for continuous compliance:
- Ensures compliance with NIS2, CER, and relevant national requirements
- Centralizes all documentation in one place — ready for audit and supervision
- Supports risk‑based re‑checks and access control
- Ensures compliance with the GDPR
