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.

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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.

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