Recent amendments to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) provided new resources to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Oregon Health Division (OHD) to provide  drinking water protection assistance to public water systems and communities.  Developing a  management plan will remain voluntary in Oregon.  However, the 1996 SDWA Amendments mandated that state agencies conduct “source water assessments” for every public water system.  This means that DEQ and OHD must delineate the groundwater and surface water source areas  which supply public water systems, inventory each of those areas to determine potential sources of  contamination, and determine the most susceptible areas at risk for contamination.  To achieve these  goals, Oregon DEQ has assembled a statewide citizen’s advisory committee (Drinking Water  Protection Advisory Committee (DWPAC)) to assist in the expansion of the former wellhead protection program.  A four-year plan, “The Source Water Assessment Plan” was developed and  approved by the EPA in July 1999.

The program will address 2,634 existing public water systems (including streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and wells) over the next three years.  Of those, 1,140 will receive full assessments and the 1,494 transient non-community water systems (and small schools) will receive limited
assessments assistance.

DEQ will be responsible for the surface water delineations and inventories for all 1,140 systems. To meet these objectives, DEQ and OHD have added nine new federally-funded staff positions to implement the requirements, including program coordination, computer database development, GIS development, technical assistance, contamination source inventories, surface water delineations, groundwater delineations, and susceptibility analyses.

DEQ will also provide increased direct technical assistance to communities that choose to move beyond the assessments and develop a Drinking Water Protection Plan (DWPP).  Developing a DWPP facilitates local decision-making as the community determines how to protect their own drinking water sources.

Commonly Asked Questions About Developing a Drinking Water Protection Plan

How do you develop a Drinking Water Protection Plan?

STEP 1: A “Source Water Assessment” must be conducted to determine (or “delineate”) the land surface area where the drinking water originates, identify what kind and how many potential contamination sources are within that area, and then decide where the most sensitive areas that exist within the water source.  These assessments will be performed by the state for the community in the next few years.

In some cases, DEQ and OHD will delegate tasks to communities that want the opportunity to do their own assessments.

STEP 2: The local community then voluntarily develops a management approach to reduce the risks of groundwater contamination from those sources.  DEQ recommends that the management approach be developed trying to minimize any burdens on individual property owners, while maximizing the equity in responsibility for reducing the risks of future contamination.

What are the benefits of implementing a drinking water protection plan?

The primary incentive for local communities to voluntarily implement drinking water protection is  the benefit of a more secure source of high quality water.  Other (perhaps more tangible) incentives include lower costs to the public by: a) reduction in OHD public water supply monitoring requirements, and b) reduced likelihood of costs for replacement and/or treatment of contaminated drinking water.  Long-term assurances of a safe and adequate drinking water supply also helps to protect property values and preserve the local and regional economic growth potential for the area.

What resources are available to communities interested in developing a plan?

DEQ and OHD will provide limited technical assistance and are available to guide communities as they work through the process of developing a protection plan.  Other agencies will also be involved in providing technical assistance as protection plans are developed.  For example, on farmlands, the Oregon Department of Agriculture will provide assistance as indicated for under Senate Bill 1010. In developing recommendations for protecting drinking water source areas, DEQ has tried to maximize the use of existing programs in Oregon such as pollution prevention technical assistance (DEQ), sanitary survey results (OHD), household hazardous waste collection (DEQ), agricultural water-quality protection (ODA), water conservation education (WRD), rural water quality outreach
(OSU Extension Service), etc.

Where can I get more information?

To obtain a copy of the brochure or Oregon’s “Source Water Assessment Plan,” or to arrange a presentation on drinking water protection, contact Sheree Stewart, Drinking Water Protection Program Coordinator, Oregon DEQ, (503-229-5413) or Dennis Nelson, Groundwater Coordinator, Oregon Health Division (503-731-4010.