Linking water quality to the watershed: Developing Tools for Source Water Protection

摘要

Although maine is not as heavily developed as many areas in the northeast, interested parties came together to craft a Comprehensive source water Protection program that has the state's water industry Well-positioned to protect its sources into the future. Watersheds are well recognized as the most effective management unit for the protection of water resources (Robbins et al, 1991; USEPA, 1997; USEPA, 1999; NRC, 1999; NRC, 2000). The current focus on source water protection, stimulated by the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), parallels the watershed approach to clean water taken by federal agencies and the broader scientific community. Watershed management has been called the "key to the future" by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 1997), so it is no surprise that safe drinking water programs should require coordination within watersheds to improve water quality.