Sources of additional information
For additional information, contact your state drinking water program.
General information
• Safe Drinking Water Hotline - (800) 426-4791
• EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water - http://www.epa.gov/safewater
• EPA's Capacity Development Program - http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys/small.htm
Technical Assistance Providers
• National Rural Water Association (NRWA) - http://www.nrwa.org
• Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) - http://www.rcap.org
• National Environmental Services Center (NESC) - http://www.nesc.wvu.edu
• Technology Assistance Centers (TACs) - http://www.tacnet.info
Financial Assistance Providers
There are many sources of financial assistance and incentives to help systems fund multiple barrier approach programs and
activities. Some of the key providers of financial assistance are:
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) - http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf.html
• Rural Development Water and Wastewater Loan and Grant Program - http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/states/usamap.htm
• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) - http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/
SEPA
Safe Drinking Water Act - Protecting America's Public Health
Souice Of Drinking Water
Privato Dr.nk.ng Wat*r Wotl
Dr.nk.ing Wfltor
({' Starago Tcrwnir
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This poster identifies examples of surface
and groundwater sources of drinking water
(in blue); potential threats to those drinking
water sources (in red); and the multiple
barriers that together protect our nation's
public health (in green). The complete
poster can be ordered from http://
yosemite.epa.gov/water/owrccatalog.nsf.
Drinking Wata
sain Drinung WUar HoBm - (600) 42&4791 safew&ur wofl Site - www apa govfcatowatoi
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
AEPA
Safe drinking water is essential to
our physical health and to the
economic health of our commu-
nities. However, drinking water is
vulnerable to contamination from many
potential threats. The 1996 Safe Drink-
ing Water Act Amendments created a
coordinated set of programs and re-
quirements to help water systems make
sure they have a safe supply of drinking
water. These programs and requirements
form a Multiple Barrier Approach that
places technical and managerial barriers
that help prevent contamination at the
source, treatment, and tap to provide a
safe supply of drinking water for
consumers.
The barriers are:
Risk Prevention: Selecting and
protecting the best source of water
where possible or protecting a current
source of water.
Risk Management: Using effective
treatment technologies, properly de-
signed and constructed facilities, and
employing trained and certified opera-
tors to properly run system components.
Monitoring and Compliance: Detect-
ing and fixing problems in the source
and/or distribution system.
Individual Action: Providing customers
with information on water quality and
health effects so they are better in-
formed about their water system.
The Multiple Barrier
Approach to Public
Health Protection
By placing integrated barriers from the
source to the consumer at the tap, water
systems can help protect communities
from the risk of contamination and
waterborne disease. A successful
multiple barrier approach includes:
Barriers between potential threats
and the consumer.
For example:
• Source water protection activities
such as identifying and reducing
contamination in watersheds.
• Appropriate source water treatment.
• Properly trained, certified operators.
• Properly designed and constructed
facilities.
Programs and activities to make
sure the barriers are in place and
operational.
For example:
• Sanitary surveys to evaluate the
adequacy of a water system's facili-
ties for producing and distributing
safe drinking water.
• Comprehensive Performance Evalua-
tions to identify cost-effective im-
provements in system performance.
• Standards for the design and con-
struction of a system's components.
• Continuing education and training of
managers and certified operators.
• Strategic and emergency response
planning to make sure a system is
prepared for the future and for
potential crises or disasters.
Did You Know?
Capacity development — the
development of a system's techni-
cal, managerial, and financial
ability to provide safe and ad-
equate drinking water to its
customers — is the foundation of
a successful multiple barrier
approach for any system.
Office of Water (4606M)
EPA816-K-06-005
www.epa.gov/safewater
September 2006
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Water Systems' Multiple Barriers to Protect Public Health
Barrier #1: Risk Prevention
The first barrier in a water system's multiple barrier approach is risk
prevention. Risk prevention focuses on the selection and protection of
drinking water sources. Systems should be aware of potential
contamination caused by agricultural drainage, urban runoff, organic
materials, and other factors.
When selecting sources, systems should examine:
• The quality of the raw water (e.g., does it contain pathogens,
chemicals, radionuclides, nitrates, or high turbidity?).
• The risk of contamination (e.g., will development encroach on the water
source?).
• The ability of the supply to meet current and future needs.
Water systems, unless they are new systems, rarely have the opportunity
to select their water source. But existing systems can and should take
steps to protect their water sources, including:
• Identifying sources of contamination in watersheds and recharge areas.
• Identifying the conditions under which the risks increase.
• Developing and implementing source water protection strategies.
By properly selecting and protecting its water source, a system can reduce
its need for and reliance on treatment and increase the reliability of its
water quality and quantity.
The financial incentive for systems to prevent risks is significant. It is
almost always more cost-effective for a water system to protect its source
water from contamination than to remove or inactivate contamination
during treatment.
Barrier #2: Risk Management
Risk management barriers focus on the protection provided by water
treatment and system operations. Public water systems traditionally have
relied on treatment to prevent waterborne disease. Treatment continues to
play a central role in protecting public health.
Water treatment:
• Removes and inactivates contaminants present in source water.
• Leads to improved finished water quality.
No single treatment technology or process can solve every water quality
problem, so a water system should consider using a combination of
treatment technologies and processes if necessary.
To provide adequate protection of public health, a water system:
• Must meet its state's minimum design and construction standards.
• Should develop asset management plans that help provide sound
infrastructure.
• Must meet federal and state drinking water standards.
In addition to using the appropriate treatment, water systems should make
sure that their operators are properly certified and know how to apply
treatment concepts to the specific circumstances facing their system.
Water systems should also test the treatment process that they are using
to be certain that the treatment is working correctly.
The risk management barrier also includes developing and putting in place
appropriate security arrangements and comprehensive plans to respond to
emergencies, thus reducing the risk of serious consequences from a
security breach or other emergency.
A wide range of financial assistance and incentives are available to help
systems fund upgrades or replacement of their treatment components.
Contact information for some key providers of financial assistance is listed
on the last page of this brochure.
Barrier #3: Monitoring and Compliance
Under the monitoring and compliance barrier, systems aim to detect and
fix problems in the source and/or distribution system as early as possible.
They accomplish this by collecting information about:
• The presence of contaminants.
• The effectiveness of current treatment processes.
• Any deterioration in the quality of source or treated water.
Monitoring the quality of water is very important in the distribution system,
as well as throughout the entire water system. Even if water from an
extremely clean source is adequately treated, breakdowns in the
distribution system can lead to waterborne illnesses. In particular, the
contamination of treated water can result from:
• Line breaks.
• Inadequate water pressure.
• Deficiencies in storage tanks.
• Inadequate separation of water supply lines and sewers.
Part of the strategy for this barrier should include a cross-connection
detection and control program as well as efforts to make sure that all
distribution system components are properly sized and maintained. Water
systems must also monitor water in the distribution system for the
formation of byproducts from disinfection and for the leaching of lead and
copper from household plumbing.
Monitoring programs should be developed around the needs and
characteristics of individual water systems, and they should comply with all
regulatory requirements. The monitoring and compliance barrier helps a
system maintain the physical integrity of its components and make
adjustments as necessary to provide a consistent, safe supply of water.
From a financial perspective, operators who have data on the performance
and condition of their system's components (as part of an asset
management plan) can increase the useful life of system components and
quickly identify and respond to small problems before they become large
and expensive.
Barrier #4: Individual Action
Consumer awareness and participation are key components in the multiple
barrier approach.
A community water system is required to prepare and provide to their
customers, at least annually, Consumer Confidence Reports (Annual
Water Quality Reports) that discuss:
• The condition of the system's source water.
• The level of contaminants in the system's drinking water.
The reports are a way to raise consumer awareness about drinking water,
and they can be used as a tool to encourage dialogue between consumers
and the water system.
Water systems are also required to notify the public of any violations of
national drinking water standards. Public notification makes sure that:
• Consumers are informed of any health risks in a timely manner.
• Water systems build trust with consumers by sharing information.
Beyond information sharing, systems can benefit greatly from involving the
public in a variety of activities. For example:
• Systems can further their source water protection efforts by helping the
public form watershed associations.
• Systems can encourage the public to notice and report activities that
could represent contamination or sabotage threats to the water system.
Informed and involved consumers can become advocates for
improvements in their water system's operations. Public education and
participation can also help consumers become more aware of the true cost
and value of water.
From a financial perspective, customers who have a better understanding
of their water system, the true cost and value of water, and the role they
play will be more likely to support rate increases and bond issues needed
to fund multiple barrier approach activities.
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