Non-random thought: It wasn't a cyber-attack.
?? Theory ??
Why do I say that? --Because it's the excuse that the press is reporting.
I'm not ant IT guy but, I've known for years about SCADA and all the different infrastructure that uses it. We've been warned for years about the vulnerability of these systems and it looks like little was done to bolster security. Maybe that was on purpose. I worked for my municipal water utility for 20yrs. and know that the pumps and chlorination are monitored by one laptop that gets handed off between just a few of people. They take turns and get paid to sit at home and address any issues that may arise. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too hard for anyone to hack into this system and cause havoc.