National Approach to Source Water Protection

September 27, 2011 Roy Simon, Acting Branch Chief, Prevention Branch EPA HQ Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water

Office of Water/USEPA

Why Protect Source Waters?

• Support state/local economy and protect public health – Difficulty building new water supply sources – Decrease the risk of contamination and treatment

costs for current water supplies – Decrease risks to consumer health

• Potential relief from monitoring and regulatory requirements

SOME POTENTIAL SOURCES of CONTAMINATION to DRINKING

WATER:

Wastewater Systems

Municipal Sanitary Waste Treatment &

Disposal Large-Capacity On-Site

Systems Sewer Collection

Transportation Airports

Railroads/Subways Freeways/Highways Roads/Streets

Commerce/Industrial

Gas Stations Chemical and Petroleum

Storage Dry Cleaners

Mining and Agriculture Irrigation Wells/Drainage

Mining and Agriculture Irrigation

Wells/Drainage

Agriculture Concentrated Animal Feeding

Operations Grazing

Crop Production Fertilizer/Pesticide Application

Agriculture Irrigation Wells/Drainage

Residential Septic Systems Lawn/Garden Care Underground and

Aboveground Storage Tanks

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What is Source Water Protection?

• Source Water Protection- the use of prevention practices to protect both surface sources and underground sources of drinking water from actual sources and significant potential sources of contamination.

Source Water

Protection Today

Stormwater Rulemaking Enforcement

Targeting Inspections

Urban Waters

Source Water

Protection Workshops

Agriculture and FFA

Curriculum

Underground Storage Tank Rulemaking

Nutrient Framework and tools (NPDAT)

Water Quality Standards

Rulemaking

Special State Demonstration

s TPL/ASDWA

Source Water Collaborative

National Pollutant

Discharge Elimination

System Rulemaking

Underground Injection Control

Program

Key Aspects of Current EPA Source Water Protection Program Actions

• Source Water Collaborative: group composed of 23 stakeholder organizations who collaborate and act to protect sources of drinking water.

• Source Water Protection Workshops: provides workshops for Regional and local stakeholder groups to promote local source water protection.

• Partnerships with key EPA and Federal Agencies: to promote source water protection in watershed context and to share source water protection information to leverage multiple programs.

• Nutrient Framework and Outreach and Tools: source water protection data and information included in Agency efforts to reduce nutrient pollution in waters.

• Underground Injection Control Program: regulatory program protecting underground sources of drinking water.

• Enforcement Targeting Inspections: increases the agency’s visibility in the effort for compliance within the regulated community.

• Location Data: HUC 12 water system intake density data on EPA web site.

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EPA Source Water Protection Program Activities

• USDA and EPA Future Farmers of America High School Lessons: provides targeted public awareness of agricultural impact and best practices on both ground and surface water.

• Special State Demonstrations (TPL/ASDWA): aids states in developing successful approaches that integrate state land use and water programs to protect sources of drinking water.

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System CAFO Rulemaking: rulemakings can provide new criteria for permit writers to protect source waters.

• Water Quality Standards Rulemaking: rulemaking updates to current CWA regulations and can strengthen source water protection efforts.

• Stormwater Rulemaking: rulemaking to protect source waters from runoff during and after wet weather events.

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SWP Priorities for 2012 • Reduce contamination from sources of nutrients -- septic

systems, storm water, and agriculture e.g. EPA Nutrients Initiative

• Build partnerships in protection programs e.g. Source Water Collaborative

• Communicate key messages to key audiences e.g. Future Farmers

of America (FFA) Lessons and FFA Convention, outreach to agricultural stakeholders including USDA, NACD

• Partner with states to substantially implementing source water

protection , e.g. targeting local action at community water systems level to protect population served

• Ensure availability of quality water e.g. Water supply analysis,

Climate Change Adaptation initiatives

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Key FY 2012 Priority Action Actions to Reduce Nutrient Loadings to Source

Waters • Support Office of Water Nutrient Framework

– Champion participation by state and local drinking water managers in state and local nutrient loading reduction planning

• GIS-based analysis to identify source waters for priority protection by matching nutrient load data and water system contaminant information

• Support the Source Water Collaborative’s efforts on Nutrient Loading Reduction to source waters

– Collaborative action to partner with USDA, inform NACD county officials (Soil and Water Conservation District Chapters), and sponsor National Webcasts

• Leverage Clean Water Act nitrogen and phosphorus strategic actions and outreach

– Make drinking water GIS Data accessible on EPA websites

Different sources of nitrogen and phosphorus predominate in different parts of the country

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Drinking Water GIS Data

• EPA has developed drinking water GIS layers that will released through 2 mapping tools later this fall – MyWaters mapper (http://www.epa.gov/waters/) – Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data Access Tool

(http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/nutrients/npdat_index.cfm)

• Layers display intakes or wells on a watershed (HUC12) basis to protect facility locations

Density of Surface Water Intakes in Watersheds

FY 2012 Build Partnerships in Protection Programs

American Planning Association American Water Works Assoc. Assoc. of Metropolitan Water Agencies ASDWA Assoc. of State & Interstate Water

Pollution Control Administrators Assoc. of State and Territorial Health

Officials Clean Water Fund Environmental Finance Center The Groundwater Foundation GWPC National Assoc. of Counties

Nat’l Environmental Services Ctr NGWA NRWA N. American Lake Mgmt Society River Network Rural Community Assistance Partnership Trust for Public Land USDA – Farm Service Agency USDA – Forest Service U.S. EPA U.S. Geological Survey Water Systems Council

Source Water Collaborative Member Organizations

FY 2012 Communicate Key Messages to Key Audiences

– Conservation Districts (http://www.nacdnet.org/about/districts/websites/index.phtml)

– National Rural Water Association

(www.nrwa.org)

– State and Local Technical Committees (www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/StateTech/)

– Drinking water utilities (http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html)

– Source Water Collaborative members (www.protectdrinkingwater.org)

– FFA Alumni Associations & Chapters

(https://www.ffa.org/getinvolved/alumni/Pages/default.aspx)

Leave you with this thought…

We are integrally linked. It is the integration/coordination of researchers, federal, state, and local governments, NGOs and industry practitioners that will create viable and sustainable options for source water.

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Source Water

Protection Today

Stormwater Rulemaking Enforcement

Targeting Inspections

Special State

Demonstrations

TPL/ASDWA

Source Water Protection Workshops

Agriculture and FFA

Curriculum

Underground Storage Tank Rulemaking

National Pollutant Discharge

Elimination System

Rulemaking

Water Quality

Standards Rulemaking

Urban Waters

Source Water Collaborative

Nutrient Innovation Task Group

Underground Injection Control Program

For More Information • http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/

sourcewater/protection

• http://water.epa.gov/scitech/

• http://www.sourcewatercollaborative.org

• http://www.epa.gov/waters

• http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/nutrients/npdat_index.cfm