AWWA SRC57803

Source water protection has become even more important to water utilities and to the US Congress since September 11. In addition to existing source water protection programs, recently mandated water system vulnerability assessments should examine what can be done to improve protection of source water; in the case of the vulnerability assessments, protection is directed toward intentional contamination. Generally, water system improvements suggested in a vulnerability assessment can be grouped into four categories: physical protection, procedural changes, process improvements, and cyber/control systems protection. Examples of each as they relate to source water protection are described in this paper. It is important that water resource professionals work together with water utilities to achieve source water protection through a combination of vulnerability assessments and other programs.