What is Source Water Protection?

Source water protection is a proactive, non-regulatory approach to preventing the pollution of lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater that serve as sources of drinking water.

For generations, water quality was taken for granted, and still today, many people assume that our water is naturally protected. But anything we do on top of the ground has the potential to affect someone’s drinking water. As water moves through and over the ground, contaminants can be picked up and carried to a community drinking water supply.

What’s in a Source Water Protection Plan?

A Source Water Protection Plan (SWPP) identifies: the area in need of protection, called a Source Water Protection Area; potential sources of contamination; and management approaches that could help to reduce the risk of contaminants entering the source waters.

Paint Brush Hills MD developed a Source Water Protection Plan in 2018 for their drinking water sources, which consists of groundwater wells.

Download the Source Water Protection Plan.

For more information about the Paint Brush Hills Metropolitan District Source Water Protection Plan or to report a drinking water quality concern, call 719-495-8188.