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The "Source Water Collaborative" an independent and informal consortium of NGO's and governmental agencies that EPA helped organize, has developed a campaign to promote source water protection, including a website and brochure. The brochure (available on their website) provides 3 basic principles for communities and citizens to help protect source water: development patterns, budgets and pricing, and stewardship. Low Impact Development and other green infrastructure techniques are the focus of the "development patterrns" section.
Source Water Protection - How you govern can determine what you drink. Consider your community's efforts in these key areas: development patterns, pricing options, and stewwardship. Click here for a quick guide for community leaders committed to safe drinking water. EPA also has some valuable information about protecting our source waters.
Be SMART about Water - Helping American's Small Communities Protect Their Source Water. Click here
County Ordinances - Click here to find out whether your municipality or county has an ordinance to help you protect your drinking water sources
Transient Non-Community Systems - Notice to the Public Regarding Source Water Assessments/Drinking Water Source Protection Plans for Transient Non-Community Systems
The 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act required that all states develop source water assessment programs to assess the risk of accidental contamination of all drinking water sources. However, source protection requirements are voluntary for EXISTING (i.e. plans and specifications submitted before July 26, 1993) ground-water sources serving Transient Noncommunity systems.
Rules have been adopted regarding the protection of public drinking water sources. These rules require that each public drinking water supplier prepare a source protection plan. This plan must be reviewed and approved by the Division of Drinking Water.
Typically, a plan is developed after a hydrogeological evaluation is conducted for each source. The investigation determines what areas must be protected, and the extent of protection which is necessary. Within these protection zones, various activities or facilities may be restricted if they will jeopardize the purity of the drinking water source.
Source protection requirements apply to both new and existing sources. If construction a NEW source is being planned, see Construction Approval Process . For guidance on the process of getting a new source approved, see General Requirements for Developing New Sources.
If sufficient documentation is provided in a source protection plan, waivers may be granted to permit a reduced monitoring schedule for certain chemicals.
For groundwater sources (springs and wells)
For surface water sources (lakes, reservoirs, streams)
Tools for Developing Source Protection Plans
This page updated on 3/18/09
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