![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Source Water Protection
Goal 2: Protecing America's Waters
|
Introduction
Source Water Protection (SWP) research is conducted by EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL). This research focuses on managing the risks from contaminated surface and groundwater. Scientists are developing and demonstrating approaches to prevent, manage, and mitigate risk from a holistic watershed-scale management perspective.
A holistic view couples ecological services rendered by source water ecosystems with the drinking water finishing process, resulting in improved water quality and the sharing of water production costs by those who receive the finished water and those affecting (contaminating) the source. This integrated view is consistent with the multiple-barrier approach advocated by EPA. This research shares many qualities of other NRMRL watershed research, allowing for cross-divisional collaborative efforts to solve complex environmental problems with varied stakeholders and endpoints in the Water Quality Research program. Major areas of SWP research include:
- Ground water impacts
- Best management practices (BMPs)
- Monitoring and contingency
BMP research is varied and includes structural and nonstructural approaches to contamination prevention. Planned work includes the use of geospatial data to:
- Map development
- Provide data for smart-growth planning, BMP performance, and characterization from a drinking water perspective
- Develop strategies for source water quality monitoring, which allows drinking water utilities to make BMP decisions and track results
Monitoring and contingency research is a significant effort within NRMRL. This research centers on watershed-scale chemical, microbiological, and natural isotope monitoring of source waters. The research includes:
- Developing microbiological and chemical methodologies to determine the presence and source of regulated microbial contaminants
- Developing and implementing source water quality monitoring technologies for rapid detection of changes
- Developing response contingencies, such as early warning systems, contaminant identification, and source tracking
Environmental Issue or Problem
Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes, or aquifers; after it’s treated, we use it as our drinking water. SWP is a community-based approach to protecting sources of drinking water from contamination. More than 270 million Americans receive their water from public water systems. As population increases and the economy grows, pressure on our water supplies increase. For example, many communities throughout the country are in the midst of a multi-year drought that has affected their citizens, the environment, and economic health.
Our nation's groundwater and surface water are affected by many sources of pollution, including:
- Stormwater runoff from increasing urbanization
- Diffuse, nonpoint runoff of nutrients
- Sediments and pesticides from agricultural practices and concentrated animal feeding operations
Improved detection methods have allowed us to identify groundwater contamination from various types of pathogens, organic compounds, and inorganic compounds. Recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have found emerging contaminants and contaminant mixtures (such as pharmaceuticals, detergent metabolites, and natural and synthetic hormones) in surface waters. About 25 percent of existing U.S. homes and 33 percent of all new-home development use on-site wastewater systems. EPA studies have found that about 10 to 20 percent of on-site systems are improperly managed, resulting in failures and malfunctions.
While treatment may always be needed, preventing contamination from entering water bodies serves as the first barrier to reducing consumer exposure to contaminants in drinking water. Prevention is also a cost-effective means of achieving public health protection. When contaminants are prevented from entering the sources of our drinking water, the costs of cleaning up polluted waters by installing expensive treatment can be avoided. Actions taken by the public, local and state governments, and private businesses to protect sources of drinking water can help ensure adequate supplies of safe drinking water in the future.
Source: “Challenges and Opportunities of Source Water Protection.” Plenary Address to the National Source Water Protection Conference, Washington, DC, June 2, 2003. Delivered by G. Tracy Mehan, III Assistant Administrator for Water, U.S. EPA.
Long-Term Goal and Annual Performance Goals Addressed
Drinking Water Research Multi-Year Plan (under revision)
Water Quality Research Multi-Year Plan 2009–2014 (PDF) (55 pp, 552 KB, About PDF)
Contact
Alice Gilliland
Assistant Laboratory Director, Water