Water quality protection projects typically use a watershed approach to address water quality issues. this approach involves evaluating all possible sources that may affect water quality in the project area. It provides the most comprehensive, efficient and effective way to achieve soil and water quality protection goals. Successful projects typically have a high level of community support and include strong public outreach and education programs. They also have partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies and organizations.

These projects have effectively improved water quality in watersheds over public lakes, trout streams, widely used recreational areas, drinking water sources, urban developments, and aquifer recharge areas. Practices commonly used in the projects include permanent soil and water conservation techniques (terraces, basins, etc.), temporary management techniques (no-till, nutrient management, etc.), and urban erosion and stormwater management techniques (silt fences, bioswales, etc.).

Funding for projects is provided through the Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP) and the Watershed Protection Fund with additional funding available through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Source water quality can be affected by both natural and human activities. The concept of source water protection (SWP) is to manage the areas through which water flows and the activities that take place on the land to protect the quality of the resource. These protection efforts save the community money through improved water quality that requires less treatment, a longer well life cycle, and less likelihood of having to find an alternative source or replace a well due to contamination.

Surface water is more susceptible to contamination incidents due to natural or man-made causes, such as flooding or chemical spills, but it also recovers much faster than groundwater. Groundwater is much less susceptible to contamination, but when it does occur, natural recovery is very slow. Water source protection includes both groundwater (wellhead) protection and surface water protection.

Iowa DNR’s SWP program is a voluntary program, although there are many benefits to a water system for protecting its water supply. There are three components to the Source Water Protection Program.

Phase 1 Assessment: The DNR provides an initial water source assessment, called a Phase 1 Assessment, for all public water systems in Iowa. This assessment details the water system’s existing wells, delineates water source protection zones, lists contaminant sensitivity classifications, and provides known potential sources of contamination.
Source Water Protection Plan: In the second step, the system develops its SWP plan with the help of a local team.
These plans are sometimes called Phase 2 plans. The components are listed in a template plan that is used to guide the team through the process to determine how the system will protect its drinking water resources.
Implementation: In the third phase, the SWP plan is implemented, addressing the specific elements that the community and system will use to protect their drinking water resources.

Developing a good SWP plan does not require the help or involvement of an engineer or consultant. The system may wish to contact an outside organization for assistance. The Iowa Conservation Districts and the Iowa Rural Water Association provide experienced water source consultation and assistance for developing a SWP plan, at no cost to the public water system.

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Safe and clean water is essential for human and environmental health and the economic well-being of the nation. Over the past 50 years, the quality of water and drinking water in the country has improved, but threats to water quality and safety remain. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and states have identified nearly 70,000 water bodies across the country that do not meet water quality standards. Additionally, the discovery of toxins in our communities, such as elevated lead levels in drinking water in Flint, Michigan in 2015 and new contaminants near military bases such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has renewed awareness of the risks that other chemical compounds pose to public health.

Ensuring safe drinking water

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA sets legally binding standards that limit the levels of certain contaminants in drinking water. The EPA identifies unregulated contaminants, monitors them, and determines whether they need to be regulated based on factors such as how dangerous they are to public health and how often they occur. To date, the agency has issued standards for about 90 pollutants. However, the EPA could more effectively collect data on unregulated pollutants to determine whether they need to be regulated. In addition, public water systems must comply with monitoring, reporting, and other requirements set by the EPA and the responsible states. However, the data that states provide to EPA does not always reflect the frequency of health-related violations and monitoring by public water systems or the status of enforcement actions.

Additionally, the Lead and Copper Rule requires water systems to test for lead and treat the water to prevent leaching of lead from corroded pipes. The 68,000 water systems that serve most U.S. residents are subject to this rule and must be tested in high-risk areas near lead pipes. However, the locations of many lead pipes are unknown. The EPA should collect data on lead pipes to improve enforcement of the rule. Lead in school drinking water is also a concern because it is the daily water source for more than 50 million children. EPA and the Department of Education should promote lead testing and improve guidance for school districts and child care facilities.

Under the SDWA, EPA is also responsible for protecting underground drinking water sources from contamination. This is done through the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program, which regulates the injection of wastewater into underground wells. However, EPA has not collected specific verification, complete and consistent enforcement information, or ongoing surveillance to assess whether state-managed and EPA-administered UIC programs for oil and gas wastewater disposal wells are protecting groundwater sources.

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The Agency includes the Office of Enforcement and Compliance, which directly monitors compliance with federal environmental laws by federal and state agencies, corporations, and individuals. On the ground, enforcement functions are carried out by 10 divisions of the Agency, each covering several states. State environmental authorities monitor compliance with state environmental laws.

The application of environmental legislation in the field of water resources is carried out by the Water Resources Administration of the Natural Resources Protection Agency. Water resources are managed by two basin management boards12 , which include representatives of the states, the federal government, and state water supply agencies. These bodies issue permits for the use of water bodies, set water quality standards, and monitor compliance with the issued instructions. States also have the right to issue their own laws and regulations in the field of water use with respect to water bodies located within the territory of the respective state.

Congress has the right to regulate water bodies located on the territory of several states (historically, this was the case because such water resources were important trade routes, and trade was regulated exclusively by Congress).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is a federal executive agency whose main task is to protect human health and the environment. The Agency sets national standards for various programs to protect the environment. If the standards are not met, the Agency may impose sanctions (termination of the violator’s activities, fines, lawsuits, etc.).

The EPA delegates to states and Indian tribes the authority to issue various permits and to monitor compliance with and enforce environmental laws.

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“Clean water and sanitation are fundamental to health, economic development, peace and security,” the State Department and the United Nations Agency for International Development said in a statement.

The Global Water Strategy aims to achieve water security around the world. According to the agencies, 30% of the world’s population does not have access to clean drinking water in their homes, and 60% live in unsanitary conditions.

The agencies estimate that due to the lack of strategies to ensure adequate water resources, two-thirds of the world’s population will live under water stress by 2025.

The strategy calls on the U.S. government to work with other countries and “key players” to expand access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. Key elements of the plan also include protection, exchange, regulation and financing of water resources.

The strategy focuses primarily on regions with the most acute needs, where work “best serves the national security interests” of the United States, the statement said.

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