3. EPA’s Water Quality Laws
Safe Drinking Water Act
Drinking water standards
Public water supply supervision
Underground injection control
Source water protection
• Sole source aquifer program
• Wellhead protection program
• Source water assessments
• Protection programs
Clean Water Act
Water quality standards
Discharge permits
Wastewater treatment
3
4. Safe Drinking Water Act
Multiple-Barrier Approach
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION TREATMENT MONITORING COMMUNITY
reduce contaminant threats & INVOLVEMENT
COMPLIANCE
5. What is Source Water ?
Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes, springs or
aquifers which is used for drinking water supply.
What is Source Water Protection?
Taking actions to prevent or reduce the contamination of lakes, rivers,
streams and groundwater that serve as sources of drinking water.
Wellhead Protection is a frequently used term that applies to source
water protection for groundwater sources.
Source water protection is one barrier in the multi-barrier approach to
providing water that is safe to drink
6. Why Protect Source Waters?
Public Health
Cost Savings
• treatment
• cleanup
Public Perception
Other User Benefits
• ecological
• recreation
Efficiency
7. Safe Drinking Water Act
Source Water Protection & Assessments
The 1986 amendments to the SDWA required states to develop a
Wellhead Protection Program to protect groundwaters used by
public water systems.
The 1996 amendments to the SDWA required that states develop a
Source Water Assessment Program.
assess and prioritize contamination threats to source waters (ground
and surface) used by public water systems.
States are encouraged to use information in the source water
assessments to further source water protection effects.
Implementation is state, local, water system driven
8. Safe Drinking Water Act
Source Water Assessment & Protection
DELINEATE your drinking water source protection area
INVENTORY known and potential sources of contamination within these
areas
DETERMINE THE SUSCEPTIBILITY of your water supply system to
these contaminants
NOTIFY AND INVOLVE THE PUBLIC about threats identified in the
contaminant source inventory and what they mean.
DEVELOP A SOURCE WATER PROTECTION STRATEGY (aka,
PLAN) including strategies and schedule to reduce contaminants posing the
greatest threats
IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES to prevent, reduce, or eliminate threats
DEVELOP CONTINGENCY PLANNING STRATEGIES to deal with
water supply contamination or service interruption emergencies
9. Current Context
Transition from source water assessments (SWAs) to
source water protection (SWP)
The Vision
use SWA information to address risks
engage/partner with stakeholders
develop a strategy/plan
implement
The Reality
SWP plans are voluntary
State and local leadership is essential
10. SWP Roles
Establish national SWP goal
• By 2011, 50% of community water systems, and 62% of population
served by those systems, will be “substantially implementing” source
water protection plans
• 2009 results: 35% CWSs and 54% population
State promotes and helps facilitate plan development and
implementation, especially for large systems
Tribal governments generally develop and implement source
water assessments, protection plans, and activities.
Local water system/community takes lead in developing and
implementing a SWP plan or strategy
11. EPA Support and Coordination
Education and Technical Assistance
Workshop funding
Grants to SWP partners (e.g., National Rural Water Assoc., Trust for Public Land)
Grants to Tribes to develop and implement source water assessment and protection
activities.
Information sharing and technical reviews
Internal Coordination
Communication with HQ and regional SWP Coordinators
Integration of CWA, SDWA, and other programs
e.g., Underground Injection Control, Underground Storage Tanks, Non-Point Source
External Coordination
Assistance to and oversight of states
Coordination with key stakeholders
Western States Forum
Source Water Collaborative
ASDWA, GWPC, AWWA
Conduit between HQ and state, water industry, public
12. National Source Water Collaborative
• Launched in 2006
• 23 national organizations
• includes EPA and AWWA
• setting a national vision for
source water protection
13.
14. Workshops
EPA funded 10 source water collaboration workshops
in 2009, including the Western States Forum in Pacific
Grove in May.
EPA will support another 10 workshops in 2010.
These workshops have …
promoted source water protection at the local level,
created or strengthened collaborative partnerships, and
enhanced integration with other programs at state and federal levels.
15. Agriculture
Source water protection curriculum for high
school agricultural science students by FFA
(formerly Future Farmers of America) under an
interagency agreement between EPA and USDA
Available this Spring and online
16. Water & Land Use
Ongoing Collaboration with
The Trust for Public Land
Path to Protection
Source Protection Handbook
Enabling Source Water Protection: Integration Grants
for State Water and Land Use Protection Programs
• Grants awarded in 2007 to The Trust for Public Land and Smart Growth Leadership
Institute. Partnering with Association of State Drinking Water Administrators and The
River Network
• Encourage states to work across program and agency lines to more effectively support
protection of drinking water sources at the local and watershed level
• Work completed in New Hampshire, Maine, and Ohio and underway in North Carolina,
Utah and Oregon; two states to be added in mid-April 2010
17. Nutrients
Nutrients Innovations Task Group
State and EPA water programs
An Urgent Call to Action
Addresses drinking water and
ecological impacts
Options for new and existing tools to reduce
nutrient pollution …
Numeric standards
Pilot projects to test alternative strategies
Incentive-based tools
Technology-based strategies
18. Oversight & Assistance
Example: Helping CA Assess SWP Efforts
Interviewed 16 of the largest water systems in CA,
such as …
• Santa Clara Valley Water District
• Sacramento Department of Utilities,
• East Bay Municipal Utilities District
• Irvine Ranch Water District
• Los Angeles Dept of Water & Power
Examples of tools that benefit SWP
• Watershed Sanitary Surveys
• Source Water Assessments
• Groundwater Management Plans
• Integrated Regional Water Management Plans
• Regional/Urban Water Management Plans
19. SWP Players in CA
(not a complete list)
Local State
City Government Department of Health Services
County Government State Water Resources Control Board
Water Agency/Utility/District Regional Water Quality Control Boards
Special Districts (e.g., Irrigation) Department of Water Resources
Watermaster Department of Toxic Substances
Industry Department of Pesticide Regulation
General Public Department of Fish & Game
Integrated Waste Management Board
Federal
Natural Resources Conservation Service State/Federal Agency
Bureau of Reclamation Cal-Fed Bay Delta Program
Forest Service
Environmental Protection Agency NGOs
Geological Survey Clean Water Action
Natural Resources Defense Council
20. Key Findings from CA Interviews
Significant amount of SWP is in place, although
few systems have a comprehensive SWP Plan.
CWSs often have limited, if any, authority over
imported source water.
Responsibility for SWP of imported water is
diffuse and progress involves multiple players
working together.
21. Success Stories
Examples
Contra Costa Water District
Comprehensive source water protection
• Alternative Intake Project
• Partnering with local agriculture to move
drains and implement BMPs
• Drinking Water Quality Management Plan
City of Fresno
Enterprise Canal Protection Plan
Fresno Irrigation District, DPH
City of Clovis, Sheriff’s Department
general public
22. Success Stories
Examples
Metropolitan Water District
Proactive monitoring for perchlorate
Traced to Kerr-McGee facility in NV
Resulting decline in concentration
Tahoe Water Suppliers Association
Twelve medium and small water systems
Numerous outreach campaigns
Buffer zones around shoreline and wellheads
Annual Watershed Control Program Report
23. Funding & Assistance
Examples
Workshops
Clean Water & Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
CWA 319 Non-Point Source grants
CA Propositions 84 & 50
NDEP Integrated Source Water Protection Program
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Tribal Water Protection
Rural Water Association
USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(agricultural sources only)
EPA administered
24. Summary
EPA is a resource, but …
SWP tends to be state and locally driven
SWP is voluntary
Funding is limited/competitive
Developing and implementing a SWP plan or
strategy provides short and long-term benefits
Integration and collaboration is key
Let’s talk about your SWP experiences
25. Thank you!
ungvarsky.john@epa.gov
415-972-3963
EPA Source Water Protection site
http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/sourcewater/
Source Water Collaborative
www.protectdrinkingwater.org
Report by Nutrient Innovations Task Group
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/nutrient/ nitgreport.pdf
NV Division of Environmental Protection
http://ndep.nv.gov/bwpc/sourcewater.htm
CA Department of Health Services
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/drinkingwater/Pages/DWSAP.aspx
Trust For Public Land
(search on source water protection)
http://www.tpl.org/
