“Source water protection” (SWP) involves
preventing the pollution of both ground and surface water bodies
that serve as sources of drinking water for communities. If
the drinking water source is not protected, contamination can
cause a community significant expense as well as endanger the
public’s health. Cleaning up contamination or finding
a new source of drinking water is complicated and costly. Proper
planning can aid a community in protecting, not only current
sources of water, but also water sources that may be tapped
in the future in response to population growth and other factors.