xe/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
SOURCE WATER
PROTECTION
%%|f;^.;.
IN DUR
HANDS
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"All the water that will ever be is right now."
' National Geographic, October 1993
Source water the natural origin of the water we
use on a daily basis is limited to only one percent
of all the world's water. There is no "new" water.
Whether our source water is a stream, river, lake,
spring or well, we are using the same water the
dinosaurs used millions of years ago. Nearly 97
percent of the world's water is salty or otherwise -
undrinkable, and the other two percent is locked in ice
caps and glaciers:
If five gallons represented all the water in the
world - 34 tablespoons would represent water
that was not ocean:
Of the 34 tablespoons, 26 tablespoons would
represent ice caps and glaciers;
» The remaining 8 tablespoons would represent
water we can use for agricultural; residential,
manufacturing, community, and personal needs.
> "We forget that the water cycle and the life -:
' eycle ape one." ^Jacques cousteau ;
Water makes up almost too-thirds of the human ,
body anct 70 percent of the brain. The average daily
requirement for water in the United States is about
341 billion gallons. We use one percent (3.4 billion
gallons! in our homes and yards each day. On average,
each of us uses almost 100 gallops of water a day.
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including bathing, toiletry, cooking, cleaning, laundry
and other non-drinking purposes, Americans drink
more than one billion glasses of tap water per
day. Protecting our sources of drinking water means
protecting our health.
"Understanding the interaction of ground
water and surface water is essential to water
managers and water scientists. Management
of one component of the hydrologic system,
sucfi as a stream or an aquifer, commonly is
only partly effective.,."uses circular im
The hydrologic cycle describes the continuous
movement and exchange of water above, on, and
below the Earth's surface. Water quality managers
recognize that surface water and ground water are
essentially.one resource. Starting with precipitation,
w£ter usually moves through the subsurface before
entering stream channels and flowing out of the
watershed. The quality and quantity of one affects the
other. This is problematic in the U.S., where much of
the ground water contamination is in shallow aquifers
that are directly connected to surface water.
What We, as Individuals Can Do to
Protect Source Water
, y "When the weti's dry, we know the ~
' worth of watef."Benjamin Frankfin,
PoorRit&ar/d's Alcana?, 1746
, > ^-- - <. - ^ . ; ^ , , .
" - First and foremost, source Water protection is in our
hands, AH of us. must learn the facts aboutdrmking l
water in our communities. Where does it come from?
How is it delivered to us? How often is it tested? How
does contaminated-water affect our economy and
, public health? Here are stifne actions we can take;
* Read our water utility's annual water quality
report
Repair leaking faucets and toilets
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Support and volunteer
for local water
protection projects
Be alert for suspicious
activities at the
sources, at the plant,
in the distribution
system
Look for drainage
wells and other
potential sources of contamination in our
neighborhoods
What Our Water Utilities Can Do
Water utilities are.gatekeepers of public information
and safety monitoring within oUr communities, and
they offer some of the following expertise:
Treat and distribute drinking water to diminish or
avoid potential risks
Advocate source water protection
Provide annual drinking water.quality (consumer
confidence) ^reports . - ' -
Create opportunities for public participation, such
as water board meetings and public forums
Notify non-English speaking residents in their
native language on important information
Educate consumers about the risks posed by
dangerous levels of contaminants in their drinking
water, such as nitrates and lead
Identify potential sources of contamination near
water intakes ii-> , ^ , ' ,
i ,
What Our Local Governments Can Do
Local governments are where the action is,
because most contamination is locaLOne of the most
important things they can do is to raise public
awareness and involve consumers in promoting and
practicing safe drinking water habits. They can also:
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Work with other communities in the watershed
to protect and conserve source water
Administer land use controls
Restrict use and disposal of hazardous chemicals
Conduct public information campaigns about
water contamination
* Require operating standards for industrial and
commercial activities
* Adopt local wellhead protection plans and
maximum setback zone ordinances
* Restrict use of drainage wells
* Promote and support active public involvement in
source protection
* Conduct ground water protection needs
assessments
Identify potential sources of contamination in the
watershed ,
What Our State Governments Can
j . State governments carry out environmental
l! ' protection programs: " ^
| Assess the vulnerability of water resources for
j community water-syste'ms .
i! Establish ground and surface water quality
!j standards and minimum setback zones for public
\l and private water supply wells
>[" Provide technical and financial assistance to
,!' communities and utilities
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' Conduct research
> Promote education about water standards and
pollution - -
Compile and maintain public records of environ-
mental releases
Identify and protect state ground water reserves
as a natural and public resource
Work with other states on cross^urisdictional
water issues
* Promote and^support active public involvement in
, source protection
Compile and make information readily available
about the current level of susceptibility of
- source waters and the potential sources of '
contamination-.
What the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Can Do
EPA carries out the Congressional mandate to
protect drinking water JThe Safe Drinking Water Act)
in a number of ways: -
* Develops national standards for drinking water
quality
Establishes a regulatory program to protect
underground sources' of drinking water
Produces information on contaminants that can
adversely affect human health and that may
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occur in drinking water, but which EPA does not
currently regulate in drinking water
Partners with other federal agencies, like the
USDA, USGS, and DOD to ensure that environ-
. mental quality issues are addressed in all
programs within our federal government
* Distributes financial assistance sources (grants,
loans, cost-sharing) available to fund a variety of
watershed protection projects
Compiles and maintains a public record that
tracks the progress of our environmental
protection efforts '
* Monitors and rewards industries that make
efforts to improve our environment through
, ' conservation and best management practices
"An ounce of'prevention is worth a
pound Of Cure" Benjamin Franklin
Finally, many of our communities have found out
that contamination and loss pf water resources can
cost millions of dollars: ,
Long-term treatment and clearj-up
Emergency replacement water (with bottled
water as an alternative source)
* Abandoning a contaminated drinking water
source
* Finding and developing new supplies
Engineering and consulting fees
Litigation against utilities, local and state
government, corporations ,
Loss of property value or tax revenue
Loss of revenue from boating and fishing
* Public health monitoring related costs from
exposure to contaminated water
Loss^of production time for individuals and
businesses-
* Interruption of fire and other insurance protection
Loss of economic development opportunities
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"The way we live now will affect the state of
the world in the future. The world I envision
for you and your children is one where... all
people have... clean, safe drinking water."
Rosa Parks with Gregory J. Reed, Dear Mrs. Parks, 1996
For More Information
Contact: EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
1-800-426-4791 Visit www.epa.gov/safewater
Find the Catalog of Federal Funding Sources
for Watershed Protection at
www. epa.gov/watershedfunding
You may also contact:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (4606-M)
Washington, D.C. 20460
£*,
Printed on recycled paper
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
EPA 816-F-03-008 June 2003
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