Frequently
asked Questions
about Source Water Assessment and Protection
A sampling of the most frequently asked
questions concerning SWAP is presented below. For more detailed information
concerning SWAP and Colorado’s SWAP program plan, you are encouraged to
download the plan from this web site. Answers to additional FAQs are
provided in Appendix C of the plan. If you still have questions about SWAP,
feel free to call the WQCD with your questions.
What is Source Water Assessment and
Protection?
Source Water Assessment and Protection (or
SWAP) is a community-based approach to protecting drinking water sources
from potential contamination. SWAP is a two-phased program consisting of an
initial assessment phase, in which the susceptibility of a public water
supply or system (PWS) to potential sources of contamination is evaluated.
The assessment phase is followed by the protection phase, in which the
public drinking water system and interested community stakeholders utilize
the assessment results to develop a plan to protect the drinking water
source from potential contamination.
Where did Source Water Assessment and
Protection come from?
SWAP emerged from the 1996 amendments to the
federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the law that protects our nation’s
drinking water supplies. Under these amendments, every state is required to
develop a SWAP program to assess the possible threat that potential sources
of contamination pose to their public drinking water sources. The program
must be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Does Colorado have an approved SWAP
program, and if so what is the approach?
Yes, Colorado now has an approved SWAP
program plan. EPA approved Colorado’s program plan in February 2000.
Colorado’s SWAP program focuses on five areas:
1.Public Participation
2.Delineation of
Source Water Assessment Areas
3.Contaminant Inventory
4.Susceptibility
Analysis
5.Report Assessment Results
Is Colorado’s SWAP program mandatory
or voluntary?
The SDWA amendments of 1996 mandate that the
State of Colorado must complete the assessment phase of the program for all
public drinking water supplies (PWSs). As a result, participation in the
assessment phase by PWSs and community stakeholders is voluntary. Likewise,
participation of the PWS and stakeholders in the protection phase of the
program will be voluntary.
What are the expected roles of the
State and the public water systems in implementing the SWAP program?
The Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) has
lead responsibility for seeing that the assessments for all PWSs in the
state are completed within the mandated time frames and that the results of
the assessments are made public. It is anticipated that the larger PWSs will
choose to undertake a large portion of the assessment themselves.
Smaller PWSs, which generally have more
problems and fewer resources, will need assistance, which the State is
willing to provide. The WQCD will look to contract with organizations
familiar with the SWAP process in achieving the various elements of the
program. Where there is little or no interest expressed by the PWS, the WQCD
will arrange to have their assessments completed by the contractors
using available information.
How can citizens and stakeholders
become involved in their community’s Source Water Assessment and Protection
program?
The best way to become involved is to call
your public water supplier and ask how you can become involved in their SWAP
assessment. The PWS is encouraged to put together a team of individuals and
groups who can be expected to participate in the assessment and protection
phases. Efforts to attract citizen and stakeholder interest and involvement
should target entities with a direct or indirect interest in drinking water
protection. Membership on local SWAP committees should reach out to include
groups such as: citizens and water consumers, water providers, watershed
groups, local elected/appointed officials, landowners, public health
agencies, business owners, and civic/church/senior citizen groups.
How will the assessments be funded?
Funding to cover the assessments for surface
water systems will be available from a one-time SWAP set aside fund. The
State is also looking to utilize annual set aside funds from the Wellhead
Protection (WHP) program to address assessments for ground water systems.
The State hopes to leverage these funds with in-kind services or cash
contributions from the PWSs.
What are the incentives for PWSs and
communities to become involved in the assessments and to develop protection
plans?
With respect to the assessments, it is
advantageous for the PWS to participate in conducting the assessment to
assure the proper dissemination of information to their customers, and so
that they can answer customer’s questions concerning the assessment results.
There are financial incentives for developing
protection plans, including an opportunity for the PWS to qualify for
waivers from particular types of sampling and testing, and to reduce future
water treatment or remediation costs, by taking a preventative approach
rather than a corrective approach.
Protection plans also provide a possible
means for smart growth management, especially if the community source water
areas are to be taken into consideration when planning for future
development.
Inquiries and/or comments on the Colorado Source Water
Assessment & Protection Program should be directed to:
Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment
Water Quality Control Division
303-692-3500
Department
Home | Program Home |
