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LETTER FROm ThE SOuRCE WATER COLLABORATIvE CO-ChAIRS

This report, the Source Water Collaborative’s first annual Accomplishments Report, is a testament to the hard

work and achievements of our members, our extensive network of local collaborators, and all who dedicated

their time and effort over the past year to help protect and restore our Nation’s sources of drinking water.

At the end of 2014, in the wake of several significant incidents that impacted drinking water supplies, the

Source Water Collaborative announced a Call to Action, urging all stakeholders to act swiftly to assess and

protect sources of drinking water. The Collaborative and its member organizations took this challenge to heart:

this year we reached new heights in terms of reaching across sectors and regions, to come together to make

critical headway in protecting sources of drinking water.

In the following pages, you will find a sampling of our various individual and collaborative efforts. While

compiling stories for this report, we were at once impressed by the wide range of projects and partners, and

reminded that source water protection indeed takes many forms, is best achieved collaboratively, and, despite

the many challenges, is something that anyone can--and should-- do.

While we were encouraged by the progress made in 2015, we can’t lose sight of the work we have ahead.

2015 also brought high-profile water pollution events such as a harmful algae bloom that spread across over

600 miles of the Ohio River, the drinking water source to over 5 million people. As you read these pages,

we hope that you share in our sense of accomplishment. But we also challenge you to give pause and think

creatively about what your organization and community can do to advance source water protection. Our future

partnerships and collaborations together can take many forms. Inspiration, synergy and leveraging each other’s

resources will increase our chances of success as we continue to champion safe, plentiful drinking water for

generations to come.

Thank you again for your hard work and support of the Source Water Collaborative in 2015. We are excited to

see what we can accomplish in 2016.

Jim Taft Dan Yates

Co-Chairs, SWC Steering Committee

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OuR v IS ION

All drinking water sources are adequately protected. As a result,

the nation gains profound public health as well as economic benefits.

2015 GOAL

Promote a National Source Water Protection Call to Action.

Promote and Support Local and Regional

Based Source Water Collaborative models

Promote Clean Water Act/Safe Drinking Water Act

Coordination

Promote and Facilitate Water Quality Improvement

1 2 3

1 2 3

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2015 BY ThE NumBERS

4,025individualsreached through our website, emails and Twitter

1676

40 million

people’s drinking water protected by our local collaborative network

26 membersparticipate in the SWC

watershed level collaboratives

state level collaboratives

local level collaboratives

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2015 mEmBER ACCOmPLIShmENTS

SuPPORTING COLLABORATIvE APPROAChES TO SOuRCE WATER PROTECTION

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Schuylkill Action Network established a new public private partnership with Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola provided funding to the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund, which provides grants to government agencies and non-profit organizations for projects that improve the quality of water in the Schuylkill watershed.

ENGAGING IN PuBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESSES uNDER STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAmS AND LOCAL LAND uSE PROCESSES TO PROTECT SOuRCES OF DRINkING WATER

The National Association of Conservation Districts engaged conservation districts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to promote the use of cover crops in sensitive source water areas throughout the country.

$25,000contributed to a stormwater runoff reduction at West

Philadelphia Public Elementary School. One new active and sustainable school and community space.

3,000conservation districts across the United States.

Source Water Collaborative contacts in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and 3 territories.

key Partners: EPA hQ Source Water Protection, Schuylkill Action Network, Coca Cola Company

key Partners: National Association of Conservation Districts, Natural Resources Conservation Service,

local and regional conservation districts

Photo by Jenny Liang

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2015 mEmBER ACCOmPLIShmENTS

Water Systems Council partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies within Pennsylvania to host the 2015 Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival. This festival educated students, teachers, and volunteers about protecting groundwater resources through activities and presentations by natural resource experts.

Key Partners: Water Systems Council, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, United States Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PA Conservation Districts, Sea Grant

1700 STuDENTS & TEAChERS 241 vOLuNTEERS 1 EDIBLE AQuIFER

PROmOTING GRASSROOTS PLACE-BASED INITIATIvES TO ADvANCE SOuRCE WATER PROTECTION

Informing and influencing land use decisions that adequately consider potential impacts to drinking water sources

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) completed a community-based Greenprint project in Lake Worth, TX that identified priority actions to protect Lake Worth, a drinking water

source for Fort Worth and nearby communities. TPL has initiated another Greenprint project directed at protecting source waters of the West Fork of the San Jacinto River in partnership with the Houston Galveston Area Council.

Leveraging the Clean Water Act and other programs and authorities to protect drinking water supplies

The Association of Clean Water Administrators partnered with Source Water Collaborative member organizations to conduct a series of four webinars highlighting key “tools” from the Clean Water Act-Safe Drinking Water Act Coordination Toolkit. Webinars provided overview and case studies on Clean Water Act Water Quality Standards, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, and non-point source/319 program strategies to protect drinking water sources.

Key Partners: The Association of Clean Water Administrators,

Ground Water Protection Council, Association of State Drinking

Water Administrators, EPA

key Partners: The Trust for Public Land, City of Fort Worth,

Lake Worth Regional Coordination

Committee, North Central Council of Governments

key Partners: Association of State Drinking Water

Administrators, Ground Water Protection Council, US

Environmental Protection Agency

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2015 mEmBER ACCOmPLIShmENTS

The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators provided input to EPA as the Agency developed all-hazards planning tools, including updates to the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) and new initiatives, the Flood Resilience and Drought Response and Recovery guides. ASDWA partnered with EPA to conduct webinars on EPA’s Flood Resilience Guide and on actions states can take to help water utilities with power resiliency during emergencies. ASDWA also helped to develop a fact sheet and held a webinar on “States and Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs) Working Together.”

Key Partners: The Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, Association of Clean Water Administrators, American Water Works Association, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

70 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED FLOOD RESILIENCE WEBINAR

50 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDEDPOWER RESILIENCE WEBINAR

FACILITATING COmmuNITY AND STATE-LEvEL ALL-hAzARDS PLANNING

ASSISTING STATE AGENCIES AND LOCAL COmmuNITIES TO ImPROvE SOuRCE WATER ASSESSmENTS AND PROTECTION PLANS BY PROvIDING NEW DATA AND TOOLS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency worked with a number of federal, state, and local partners to test and integrate stakeholder feedback into the first, public version of the Drinking Water Mapping Tool for Protecting Source Waters (DWMAPS), a powerful geospatial tool for assessing potential sources of contamination to drinking water.

Key Partners: EPA, American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water

Agencies, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, Ground Water Protection Councikey Partners: U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, American Water Works Association,

Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies,

Association of State Drinking

Water Administrators, Ground

Water Protection Council

Impact: 22 state and utility

representatives with experience in

15 states and 10 geographic regions

provided valuable input to DWMAPS

via focus groups.

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2015 SWC IN ACTION

2015 was a busy year for the Source Water Collaborative. In addition to our continued efforts to support member actions on the ground, we tapped experts and practitioners across our extensive network to help us redefine and enhance our approach to national-level source water protection. With the Call to Action as our guide post, we retooled our website, established our presence on social media, and introduced groundbreaking tools and resources to guide effective protections.

SOCIAL mEDIA @SourceWaterCol is now on Twitter. #SourceWaterProtection #MemberMonday

NEW PLANNERS GuIDE » Source water protection ultimately happens at the local level. Advice Worth Drinking is a new pocket guide for local land use planners that reviews options localities can use to protect drinking water along with key resources from state, federal and community-sponsored programs.

NEW SOuRCE WATER COLLABORATIvE WEBSITE »We reimagined and restructured the Source Water Collaborative website to reflect strategic priorities of the Call to Action. Now, visitors can readily navigate to key source water assessment, protection, and emergency response resources, and locate and connect with protection partners across the country. The latest news bulletin, Twitter feed, events calendar, email alerts, and interactive map make it a living resource – one that will continue to evolve to reflect the changing face of source water protection.

FIRST-OF-ITS-kIND: hOW TO COLLABORATE TOOLkIT »The “How to Collaborate Toolkit” is an extensive effort to help others initiate and enhance partnerships to protect drinking water sources. It recognizes that effectively addressing drinking water contamination often requires working with partners across organizational and jurisdictional boundaries.

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A LOOK AT 2016

2016 is set to be another big year for collaboration. We already have several projects in the pipeline and a few nearing completion. 2016 also marks the Source Water Collaborative’s 10th anniversary! As we look back over 10 years of the Source Water Collaborative, we will celebrate our successes and review lessons learned, while keeping our focus on the future. Persistent and emerging threats continue to challenge our public water systems and jeopardize the safety and sustainability of our drinking water resources. In 2016, we will strive to identify ways to address fundamental drivers of these and other problems while continuing our concerted efforts to promote and implement the National Source Water Protection Call to Action by supporting member actions, building new and vital resources, and seeking opportunities to harness the power of collaboration.

WhAT’S ON TAP iN 2016:

From Source to Tap »

The Source Water Collaborative will unveil an interactive infographic, Source to Tap, that allows users to navigate across a watershed to learn how the Clean Water Act can be used to protect drinking water sources and to identify opportunities for public investment.

“Reinforce the Source” Innovation Challenge »

So, what is an Innovation Challenge? It’s a type of prize competition that seeks innovative solutions from the public to address a specific problem. The Source Water Collaborative will host the “Reinforce the Source” innovation challenge, a prize competition that challenges the public to design an online repository for sharing information on contaminants of concern to drinking water.

“ Partnerships are critical. Effective source water protection typically requires effort among a variety of stakeholders—at federal, state, and local levels—as well as shared recognition of the value of the resource needing protection. No one agency or organization has all the authorities it needs to make on-the-ground progress in protecting sources of drinking water.” –JimTaft, ASDWA

» »THE PRIZETHE PROBLEM THE CHALLENGE

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SWC mEmBERS

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APPENDIX: 2015 mEmBER PROjECTS

Member Organization Project Description Key Partners Impact

American Planning Association

The American Planning Association worked with EPA to update the Advice Worth Drinking: A Planner’s Guide, a guide for local land use planners, and hosted a “Tuesdays at APA” event focused on source water protection with EPA and ASDWA.

EPA, ASDWA “Tuesdays at APA” had 40 attendees. Materials have been shared through APA communications channels with APA’s 38,000 members.

Association of Clean Water Administrators

ACWA worked with EPA, ASDWA, & GWPC to host a series of webinars on the toolkit, “Opportunities to Protect Drinking Water and Advance Watershed Goals Through the Clean Water Act.” A series of 4 webinars provided overview of the toolkit and important Clean Water Act mechanisms, including WQ Standards, Impaired Waters, TMDLs, NPDES Permits and NPS, 319 programs.

ASDWA, GWPC, EPA

Approximately 150 participants attended each of the four CWA/SDWA webinars from state, EPA, and local clean water, drinking water, and groundwater programs.

ACWA participated in the identification and design of an Innovation Challenge project to develop a user-friendly repository/clearinghouse for state data (including monitoring data and metadata), technical information and analysis, risk assessments, and draft/final criteria for pollutants with no 304(a) recommended criteria and/or drinking water standards. This clearinghouse would be readily accessed and shared to reduce duplication of state data collection and risk assessment efforts.

Connecticut DEP, EPA OGWDW, EPA Regions 1 and 2, GWPC, ASDWA

ACWA presented the concept to the Water Quality Standards Workgroup comprised of states and EPA staff from Regions 1 & 2. ACWA also informed the Water Quality Standards Managers Association (State and EPA representatives), as well as ACWA’s extensive member network.

Association of State Drinking Water Administrators

ASDWA supported the work of its Security Committee and Climate Change Committees, as well as a broader ad hoc discussion group on Harmful Algal Blooms and Toxins. In addition, ASDWA and a group of select states provided input to EPA on the development of the new Cyanotoxin health advisory levels and guidance document.

States, EPA, Water Industry Representatives

Approximately 30 states participate in the Security Committee, and nine states participate in the new Climate Change Committee. The HABs and toxins discussion group consists of approximately 50 participants from states, EPA, and other water industry arenas.

ASDWA worked with the State of West Virginia to collect state information about what types of Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) program information they provide to the public; and state source water assessment and protection plan guidance documents from other states, to use as examples for developing their requirements under the new state law.

State of West Virginia

31 states responded to the survey ASDWA conducted for WV on sharing SWAP information with the public. ASDWA collected 20 state source water protection plan guides and templates and shared them with state drinking water programs via email and ASDWA’s web site (www.asdwa.org/sourcewaterprotection).

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APPENDIX: 2015 mEmBER PROjECTS

Member Organization Project Description Key Partners Impact

Association of State Drinking Water Administrators

ASDWA staff participated in a meeting on the Healthy Watersheds Consortium grant and provided written comments on the draft RFP. ASDWA and three states provided comments on Water Research Foundation’s (WRF) proposed projects.

ASDWA worked with EPA to provide input on the development of the State/EPA Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Water (DWMAPS) Focus Group. ASDWA also worked with WRF on the development of the “Using GIS to Identify and Catalog Upstream Chemical Hazards” document.

EPA, Water Research Foundation, States

ASDWA’s collaboration with partners allowed for the exchange of critical input on proposed efforts that prioritize source water protection.

ASDWA worked with GWPC to host joint conference calls of their source water committees and share information between and among state drinking water and groundwater programs about national level activities and state efforts that serve as examples and opportunities for other states. ASDWA has also showcased all types of state and national source water and all-hazards based efforts and tools through sessions and presentations at its meetings and conferences and through our Source Water and Security Notes news blogs.

GWPC

ASDWA and GWPC convened quarterly conference calls with approximately 30 state representatives that participate on the committees. ASDWA conducts a Member Meeting and Annual Conference every year in addition to other meetings that include Call-to-Action (CTA) related sessions and presentations. ASDWA posts approximately 8-10 articles per month on CTA related topics on its two news blogs (www.asdwa.org/blogs).

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA worked with AWWA, AMWA, ASDWA, and GWPC to test and integrate stakeholder feedback into the first public version of the Drinking Water Mapping Tool for Protecting Source Waters (DWMAPS). DWMAPS is a powerful geospatial tool for assessing potential sources of contamination to drinking water. It is designed to share critical information with local communities and stakeholders.

AWWA, AMWA, ASDWA, and GWPC

22 state and utility focus group members with experience in 15 states and 10 geographic regions provided valuable input to DWMAPS.

EPA Source Water Protection Program collaborated with a number of partners to issue a 2015 Urban Waters Five Star Grant Program Request for Proposals (RFP). The RFP emphasizes source water protection as a priority project area.

EPA, the U.S.. Forest Service, and numerous private companies

$2.5 million in combined total funding is now available for grantees working on projects that prioritize source water protection.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3

EPA Region 3 worked with the Lancaster County partners to hold farmer-to-farmer focus groups on agricultural best management practices, such as no-till farming, manure management, and pesticide application for Source Water Protection.

Lancaster County Conservation District, Lancaster Farmland Trust, and other Eastern Lancaster County Source Water Collaborative partners

The Eastern Lancaster County Source Water Collaborative Agricultural Subcommittee has held farmer-to-farmer focus groups reaching over 70 farmers (primarily Plain Sect).

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APPENDIX: 2015 mEmBER PROjECTS

Member Organization Project Description Key Partners Impact

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3

EPA Region 3 partnered with stakeholders in West Virginia to develop a fact sheet summarizing information from a contaminant detection workshop (held in August 2014) including the components of an early warning monitoring and response system to help utilities implement the source water protection requirements of WV Senate Bills 373 and 423, following the Elk River chemical spill.

West Virginia Bureau of Public Health, West Virginia American Water, and EPA’s Water Security Division

Information in the fact sheet will support the 125 water supply utilities that are required to update or develop source water protection plans.

EPA Region 3 worked with West Virginia Bureau of Public Health to hold tabletop exercises around the state to improve emergency preparedness, response and source water protection.

West Virginia Bureau of Public Health

3 tabletop exercises were held in June, November and December 2015 engaging more than 50 water suppliers and state/local public health and emergency management representatives.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5

EPA Region 5 worked with Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to hold a SDWA/CWA workshop (May 2015) to enhance the State Assessment Methodology for making drinking water designated use attainment decisions for surface water supplies.

Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, EPA

Identified Water Quality Standards and Monitoring program barriers as well as a suite of indicators to use in making future 305b/303d report decisions.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8

EPA Region 8 hosted a Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) workshop in Rapid City, South Dakota. The meeting coincided with an EPA, NRCS, and State Non-Point Source (NPS) Pollution Meeting allowing the NPS meeting attendees to participate in some portion of the HABs workshop. Attendees learned about HABs, the issues associated, sampling, regulations, and ways to address NPS pollution.

EPA, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), State Non-Point Source Program

The HABs meeting was attended by 60 federal, state, and local partners. In addition, the 25 participants of the NPS meeting were able to attend a portion of the workshop, which will serve as a future template for other regions.

The Groundwater Foundation

The Groundwater Foundation promotes source water protection in every program and project that is implemented. The Groundwater Guardian program recognizes communities for local groundwater protection and education efforts, including source water protection. The Green Site program recognizes green spaces (i.e. golf courses, parks, etc.) for groundwater-friendly practices in site maintenance, with a positive impact on water resources.

Many local partners across the United States

75 entities have been recognized as Groundwater Guardians.

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APPENDIX: 2015 mEmBER PROjECTS

Member Organization Project Description Key Partners Impact

National Association of Conservation Districts

NACD started the Soil Health Champions Network through a NRCS Conservation Innovation grant.

The program awards producers who use soil health practices and encourages them to discuss soil

health with each other and in their communities. They also works with conservation districts and the

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and conservation districts to promote the use of cover

crops throughout the country.

NRCS, States, Local governments

Approximately 70 champions have been selected in nearly

30 states. Around 3,000 conservation districts work across the US, with Source

Water Collaborative contacts in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and three

territories.

NACD received a Conservation Innovation Grant from NRCS and will work with the American Farmland Trust to develop materials for and encourage conservation

districts to become involved with water quality trading programs.

NRCS, American Farmland Trust

NACD is utilizing the grant, along with their network of

existing districts, to onboard new conservation districts and further soil and water

conservation efforts across the U.S.

National Environmental Services Center

The National Environmental Services Center promoted source water protection in drinking water and

wastewater systems across the nation. The NESC website now provides articles and products that systems can use for their source water protection

plans,emergency response plans and source water assessments. The site also features hundreds of

products from the EPA-funded SMART About Water program that NESC developed with RCAP.

EPA, RCAP

The main NESC website will reach eight million

hits in 2015. NESC’s other media vehicles reach many more people. Additionally,

through SORA, NESC has strengthened ties to

decentralized wastewater regulators in all 50 states.

National Ground Water Association

National Ground Water Association is working with federal, state, and local agencies as well as NGOs to promote groundwater protection through its annual National Groundwater Awareness Week and Protect

Your Groundwater Day.

U.S. EPA, USGS, and CDC. Many State, and local

agencies

Nearly 700 websites promoted National Groundwater

Awareness Week in 2015 (its 17th year) and 262 websites

promoted Protect Your Groundwater Day in 2015 (its

4th year).

Trust For Public Land

The Trust for Public Land completed a community-based Greenprint project in Lake Worth, a drinking

water source for Fort Worth and nearby communities. TPL has initiated another Greenprint Project directed at protecting source water from the West Fork of the

San Jacinto River in partnership with the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

City of Fort Worth, Lake

Worth Regional Coordination Committee,

North Central Council of

Governments

Completed community-based land conservation projects that strengthened source

water protection in localities across the U.S.

Water Systems Council

Water Systems Council partnered with PA DEP and other agencies within Pennsylvania including USDA,

DCNR, Conservation Districts, and Sea Grant in hosting the 2015 Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental

Protection, United States Department

of Agriculture, Sea Grant, PA Conservation Districts, PA

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

The festival engaged 1650 students, their teachers, and 225 volunteers, teaching the importance of groundwater

resource protection.