United States Office of Water i EPA813-F-95-005 Environmental Protection (4602) August 1995 Agency &EPA SOURCE WATER PROTECTION: PROTECTING DRINKING WATER ACROSS THE NATION is Source Water Protection is a community-based approach to protecting sources of drinking water from contamination. Citizens are often uninformed and uninvolved in protecting their most precious natural resource, their drinking water supply. Source Water Protection offers a better option for Americans — a place-based pollution prevention approach. It's as basic as the Three R's: RESTORE the public's fight and responsibility to protect their drinking water and their health through community-based pollution prevention efforts and thereby; _L_^ RAISE public confidence in their drinking water supply; and REDUCE the costs of providing safe drinking water -- essential to a community's sustainable development. IS A | Drinking water protection isn't a new idea, just one that deserves renewed interest. The idea of taking action to protect drinking water predates our country. In 1610, Governor Gage of Virginia made a proclamation protecting the drinking water supply of Jamestown. The proclamation read: i Jhere 6na.ll be no man of woman dare to wain. any. unclean linen, waiti, ctoihes,... nor rinie or make clean any. kettle, pot or pan, or any. suchlike veiiel within twenty, feet of- the old well or new puma. I lor ihall anyone aforeiaia within le&& than a quarter mile of tine fort, dare to do the necessities of nature, since these unmanly., ilothful, and loathsome immodesties, the whole fort may. be choked and poisoned. More recently, the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986 established the Wellhead Protection Program, designed to protect ground water used as drinking water. The concept of Wellhead Protection can be expanded to.include surface water sources of drinking water, and then you have Water Protection. ------- WITH ALL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IS SOURCE WATER PROTECTION Many potential sources of contamination are not currently regulated. Source Water Protection can find such potential contamination sources and determine the best way to manage them. Also, Source Water Protection can work very well with existing programs, serving as a focal point or prioritization scheme for permitting, inspections, and enforcement. Existing progams can achieve greater benefits for the cost. WHAT ARE THE STEPS INVOLVED IN Communities can take the following steps to protect their drinking water: 1. Form a team . , 2. Identify the land area to be protected (Delineation) 3. Identify potential sources of contamination (Source Identification) 4. Plan for the future - emergencies can happen (Contingency Planning) 5. Manage those sources of contamination (Source Management) EPA's GOAL - By the Year 2005, Protection efforts: 60000 g 50000 H S 40000 •2 30000 H I 20000 5 10000- o 1903 1997 Delineation Source Identification Contingency Planning Source Management 2005 For Further Information On SOURCE WATER PROTECTION, Call The SAFE DRINKING WATER HOTLINE At 1 (800)426-4791. ------- |