Source water refers to sources of water (such as rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater) that provide water to public drinking water supplies and private wells.
Communities, citizen groups, and individuals can take an active role in protecting their drinking water sources from contamination.
The primary objective of a source water protection program is to safeguard and improve source water quality for current and future use.
Protecting sources of drinking water requires a wide cross-section of partners that are engaged in the assessment and protection process.
Basic considerations for source water protection include both water quality and water availability.