Water source protection

Source water is untreated suface or gound water from streams, rivers, lakes, or underground aquifers that is used to supply private wells and public drinking water. Many different contaminants can be present in source water before it is treated. They include microbial contaminants (e.g., viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants); inorganic pollutants like salts and metals from natural processes or due to urban stormwater runoff; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants such as synthetic and volatile organic chemicals from industrial processes and petroleum production; and radioactive contaminants. Preventing drinking water contamination at the source has public health, environmental, and economic benefits. While preventive approaches must be tailored to each unqiue local situation, common elements exist. These include mapping the source water assessment area; conducting an inventory of potential sources of contamination in delineated areas; determining the susceptibility of the water suppply to those contamination sources; and releasing the results to the public.