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    Public Water Systems Permits

    Source Water Protection Program

    Source Water Protection Plans are funded by DEP and are free of charge to the water system.

    The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 required states to develop a Source Water Assessment Program to assess public water system sources for their susceptibility to pollution and to implement voluntary, community-based source water protection efforts. In response, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) created the Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) Program to delineate source water protection areas, to inventory potential sources of contamination, and to facilitate the development of local source water protection (SWP) programs for public water systems.

    Local SWP programs are community-based voluntary efforts to protect drinking water sources used by community water systems. These programs are effective tools for public health protection, public education, water supply security, and managing operational and capital costs through improved or maintained source water quality.

    To assist community water systems in the development of local SWP programs, DEP has developed the Source Water Protection Technical Assistance Program (SWPTAP). This program provides resources for the development of local source water protection plans that provide strategies for addressing potential sources of contamination (PSOCs). Source water protection plans may include, but are not limited to, geographic information systems (GIS) delineations of source water protection areas and an inventory of potential sources of contamination. The SWPTAP also provides a Small System Program option, for the development of simplified plans, suitable for community water systems with a smaller population. These plans may further assist community water systems with treatment cost reduction, emergency response planning, public outreach and education, and more.

    For a list of community water systems with Approved Programs, see our Source Water Protection Approved Programs webpage. The following video provides a brief introduction to source water protection:

    Is Your Drinking Water Protected?

    Short video about source water protection.

    For more information on source water protection plan development, see our related SWPTAP and Small Systems Program webpages.