It is the protection of water resources such as lakes, rivers and groundwater from contamination or overuse.
Water is critical to all aspects of our lives. Protecting water sources is important because it ensures there is enough safe water for all of our uses – now and in the future.
No. All of the water we use is recycled through a natural water cycle:
Water falls to the earth as precipitation then infiltrates the soil where it is absorbed by plants. It then moves through the ground in aquifers and is discharged back into streams and lakes. Water is returned to the atmosphere by plants and direct evaporation from surface water.
Our supply of groundwater is endangered when water is taken out of the ground more rapidly than it naturally recharges.
By managing the influences on it – both human and natural.
Water is contained and flows within watersheds, therefore, the most effective way to manage our water resources is on a watershed basis.
As water flows across the watershed it crosses forests, farmlands, towns and cities. Along the way it is impacted by a variety of different activities.
The fewer negative impacts on the sources of our water throughout the watershed, the greater the chance that the water coming out of our taps will be safe and healthy.
Protecting the sources of our drinking water is absolutely essential to our health and our standard of living.
Irresponsible land use activities that contaminate the water or deplete the resource.
Urban development, which can make it difficult for water to filter into the ground to replenish groundwater sources. When this happens, water flows across the surface of land rather than percolating downward into underground aquifers.
Air pollution from vehicles, coal plants, industry and other sources. The pollutants fall directly onto surface waters or enter water sources through surface runoff.
Climate change. There is concern that the warming of the earth’s atmosphere as a result of climate change will reduce the amount of water available in lakes, rivers and streams due to reduced precipitation and increased evaporation.
By employing effective planning that involves all water users in the process.
By developing and employing source water protection plans. A source water protection plan is a management strategy designed to minimize the impact that human and natural activities have on the quality and supply of our water resources.
Source water protection plans include many components, including geophysical information about our watersheds, the identification of sensitive areas where water resource supply and/or quality is threatened, scientific data about the quality and supply of current water resources, up to date mapping and computer projections about future water resources, and recommendations to manage the impacts of harmful activities.
