EPA Office of Water Source Water Protection Initiative

EPA Office of Water Source Water Protection Initiative Elizabeth Corr, Associate Director Drinking Water Protection Div. Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water United States Environmental Protection Agency Presentation to the National Drinking Water Advisory Council October 4, 2012 Yu-Ting Guilaran, Associate Director Assessment and Watershed Protection Div. Office of Wetlands Oceans and Watersheds

Session Purpose & Overview: • Renewed & new energy & interest across EPA’s Office of Water (OW) q OW’s SDWA & CWA leaders are engaged q We have reached out to our state partners • Seeking your thoughts from a national perspective on 3 key questions: q Defining goals & objectives q Deciding where to start q Reaching out to the public • Today’s session: q OW provides background to frame our questions q Council discussion 2

What is Source Water? • Surface water & ground water • Current & potential drinking water sources • Geographically defined, e. g. , q. Upstream of drinking water intakes q. Wellhead recharge areas 3

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Why Protect Source Waters? • Reduce / prevent contaminants in drinking water q Better / more reliable public health protection q May lower treatment costs • Difficult / costly to develop a new water source • New / emerging drinking water contaminants • Responding to increased consumer awareness / concern 5

Protect Source Waters from What? • Contaminants from anthropogenic sources q Nutrients / pathogens / toxic chemicals • Many potential sources of contamination q Agricultural / commercial / industrial / residential • Local / state / regional concerns & priorities vary • Source water conditions may vary / change over time 6

Potential Universe of Source Water Protection • Maintenance & restoration of source water quality • Ground water & surface water • Actual & potential contamination sources • Regulated & emerging contaminants • Public water systems of all sizes & private wells • Near & long term commitment & actions • Voluntary & regulatory tools & approaches under multiple programs & statutes 7

SDWA Framework for Voluntary Action: • Making information available through state source water assessments to inform local decision-making • Source Water Collaborative q. Geographic focus, e. g. , Salmon Falls Watershed Collaboration q. Strengthening national partnerships, e. g. , with USDA • Reaching out to new audiences q. FFA–sponsored source water curriculum for high school agricultural science students • Funding q. States may use the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund 15% setaside for source water protection activities (consistent with a state’s Capacity Development Strategy) which could support Clean Water Act objectives (e. g. , impaired waters restoration) where there is a drinking water nexus

Clean Water Act Goals & Policies “…to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. ” • Clean Water Act programs can be implemented to protect source waters 9

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COUNCIL DISCUSSION TOPICS 1) What should our goals & objectives be? 2) Are there actions, approaches or problems that we should focus on first? 3) How can we engage stakeholders & citizens in protecting their source waters? What are the tools that we should consider to reach people? 11