The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines source water as untreated water from lakes, rivers, and aquifers that is provided as public and private drinking water for human consumption. The Source Water Protection Program works to reduce treatment costs and health risks by protecting source water.

        The Wellhead Protection Program (WHPP) is part of the Source Water Protection Program and was passed into law by the U.S. Congress as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1986.  The objective of WHP is to protect the health of people using ground water as a public drinking water source by providing a focus zone around public wells or well fields to prevent, detect, and remediate ground water contamination. 

     The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) administers the program in the State of Ohio. The Ohio EPA currently requires public water suppliers to commit to the development of a WHPP as a condition for permitting new public water supply wells.  The WHPP does not apply to private or industrial water suppliers.

     The SWPP consists of six separate yet closely integrated components.  Each component must be approved by Ohio EPA before a community has a fully endorsed SWPP.  The six components are:
 

1. Delineation of Source Water Protection Areas

2. Potential Pollution Source Inventory

3. Management Planning

4. Contingency Planning

5. Ground Water Monitoring

6. Public Education

THE HAMILTON TO NEW BALTIMORE
GROUND WATER CONSORTIUM'S Source Water Protection Program

      The Hamilton to New Baltimore Ground Water Consortium's effort to develop a multiple supplier, multi-jurisdictional SWPP was one of the first in Ohio and still unique in the area of source water protection. 

      A WHPP was initially required for the Cities of Fairfield and Hamilton as a condition for bringing new wells into service.  A joint effort among all Consortium members, however, was undertaken for a variety of reasons, including expectations by other members of being required to develop a WHPP in the future, cost efficiencies, and a general interest in knowing and protecting ground water capture zones.       

     The Consortium began working on the first phase of the WHPP, well field delineation, in 1991.  The program is received full endorsement from Ohio EPA in November 1997.