AWWA SOURCES59202

Source water protection aims to prevent the pollution of surface water and groundwater that are used as drinking water sources. The main objective is to protect drinking water sources to avoid their contamination, as defined in the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments of 1996 and the pending Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR). As part of the source water protection, public water systems generate a source water assessment of potential contaminants and develop appropriate source water protection plans. Of particular interest to public water systems is the microbial contaminant Cryptosporidium, a human pathogen present in the environment in its oocyst form that is resistant to traditional chlorination and oxidation treatments used at most drinking water utilities. The LT2ESWTR's main purpose is to provide utilities with treatment processes aimed at eliminating Cryptosporidium in finished water. These treatment processes are called the Microbial Toolbox. A tool of particular interest to the industry is the Watershed Protection Program. Also, watershed management is an essential barrier of protection against the presence of pathogens in drinking water. In this paper, the transport and fate of Cryptosporidium in a watershed are investigated and the development of procedures and techniques for source water protection are presented. Results demonstrate that Cryptosporidium oocysts can travel far and fast, not only via surface runoff but also through the subsurface environment. Multi-integrated barriers to protect water sources from Cryptosporidium are presented through a range of techniques and tools. Among these multi-barriers, the main one is the prevention barrier that can be identified through best management practices (BMPs). This information will assist utilities in developing a Watershed Protection Program as outlined in the LT2ESWTR. Includes 98 references, tables, figures.