Homepage

Project Description

Watershed

Land Use/Maps

Source Inventory

River Water Quality

Get Involved

Meetings

Resources

What is the Delaware River Source Water Assessment?

It is a process involving water suppliers, watershed organizations, and other stakeholders to identify potential or existing sources of contamination to the local water supply. Based on this information the susceptibility and vulnerability of the local water supply will be determined. This information including recommendations on how the water supply can be protected will be provided in a report available to the public. Water suppliers will use this information to help the public understand the source of their drinking water and the challenges facing it.

Why Should I Care About the Source Water Assessments?

You should care about the source of your drinking water and want to protect it from contamination! Also, the public requested Congress to help them know more about their water supply and how to protect it. Congress fulfilled that request by including the Source Water Assessments in the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Reauthorization. Now states are required to conduct these assessments for all surface water supplies and certain groundwater supplies by July 2003. The goal of Congress is to have half the U.S. population covered with Source Water Protection Plans by 2005.

How Will the Source Water Assessments Benefit Me?

Water Suppliers: It will help water suppliers identify issues and make recommendations for protection efforts for your water supply.

Watershed/Preservations Organizations: Watershed and preservation organizations will learn how their efforts can link with their local source water protection initiatives beneficial to everyone.  It will also provide improvement opportunities for grant funding if projects are linked to source water protection plans.

Public: The information from these efforts will be accessible to the public and help to increase public awareness abut their water supply, the issues facing it, and how to get involved in local source water protection initiatives.

How do I Get Involved In The Source Water Assessments?

Anyone can get involved.  We have quarterly meetings about the Source Water Assessment project.  To find out more about the advisory group or public meetings CLICK HERE.  Future meetings will be posted on this website.