What can public water systems do to protect source water?
Protecting water at the source is the first critical step water systems can take in a multiple-barrier approach that also includes treatment for contaminants, monitoring to ensure that health-based standards are met, and adequate infrastructure maintenance.
A public water system should develop a written source water protection plan outlining the management tools the water system or local community plans to use to protect its drinking water source and identifying an emergency response strategy in the event of a contamination event. Management tools can apply to existing or future potential contaminant sources and be either regulatory or nonregulatory.
