vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4604)
EPA813-F-95-001
February 1995
THE WELLHEAD PROTECTION
PROGRAM: FORERUNNER TO
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION EFFORTS
ACROSS THE NATION
Background The Wellhead Protection Program was established in 1986 by the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The SDWA required each State to develop programs to
protect public water supply wells from contaminants that could be harmful to human health
The law specified that certain activities, such as delineations, source inventories, and
source management, be incorporated into State Wellhead Protection Programs (WHPPs)
to protect underground drinking
water supplies. The
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is responsible for
approving State WHPPs and for
providing technical support to
State and local governments as
they proceed with their WHPPs.
States with approved WHPPs
recently reported to EEPA on
their progress. Data were
received from eighteen States.
Purpose This fact sheet
explains the status of wellhead
protection efforts across the
nation and how wellhead protection efforts will be expanded to address surface water as
part of the Source Water Protection Program.
Implementation of Wellhead Protection Programs From the data provided in the
progress reports, an average rate of participation in various wellhead protection activities
was determined. Implementation of four key activities is illustrated in the graph below.
Wellhead protection area delineations (see WHPAs delineated): in these states
nearly 40 percent of all drinking water supplies drawn from ground water have had
delineations performed - in other words,
the land area to be protected with a
wellhead protection area was defined.
Source inventories: almost 20
percent of these ground water-
dependent systems reporting have
had inventories conducted in which
potential contaminant sources in and
around the protection area were
identified.
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Contingency plans: nearly 20 percent of these ground water-dependent systems
have designed response procedures to be implemented in case the drinking water
supply is disrupted by a spill, leak, or other event.
Active source management: approximately 10 percent of drinking water systems
drawn from ground water have implemented regulatory and non-regulatory controls
at the local level to manage or control potential sources of contamination. This may
include many different activities, from land use ordinances to public education.
As the graph "Participation in Wellhead Protection Activities" indicates,
implementation of wellhead protection at the local level is just getting underway.
Delineation of wellhead protection areas has the highest level of participation, while active
source management has the lowest. Delineations are sometimes performed by the State,
while the implementation of source management measures (e.g., zoning and land use
ordinances) is almost always handled at the local level. When a State Wellhead Protection
Program directs the State government to perform delineations, this activity may be
conducted rapidly and systematically across the State. Alternately, when a local
government is responsible for delineating its wellhead protection areas, and when it
implements other wellhead protection activities, the process is dependent on public
education, consensus-building, and even development of local regulations. EPA is working
with organizations such as the League of Women Voters, the Retired Senior Volunteer
Program, the National Rural Water Association, and The Groundwater Foundation to build
local, grass roots support for wellhead protection across the nation.
The Future for Wellhead Protection and Source Water Protection The Wellhead
Protection Program contains seven elements that are implemented by communities to
protect their ground water supplies. The seven elements are: determining roles and
responsibilities, delineation, source inventory, source management, public participation,
contingency planning, and new well protection. When a community moves beyond ground
water protection and also performs these activities for surface water systems, a Source
Water Protection Program (SWPP) is established. Thus, SWPPs are an expansion of the
Wellhead Protection Program. Because many communities draw drinking water from both
surface and ground water supplies, the SWPP is the most comprehensive program a
community can establish to protect its drinking water supply and reduce operating costs in
supplying safe drinking water. If communities develop SWPPs at the current rate, about
800 new programs per year, approximately 12,000 Community Water Supply Systems will
be protected by Source Water Protection Programs by the year 2005. If the Safe Drinking
Water Act reauthorization legislation reflects EPA's recommendations on Source Water
Protection and fully funds the program, the number of Community Water Supply Systems
protected by Source Water Protection Programs could reach 57,000 by 2005. Success in
reaching the goal of 57,000 water supply systems will depend upon participation from
business, private citizens, and all levels of government.
The next progress report on State Wellhead Protection Programs will be available in early
1996,
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON WELLHEAD
PROTECTION AND SOURCE WATER PROTECTION, CALL
THE SAFE DRINKING WATER HOTLINE AT
1 (800) 426-4791.
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