Source Water Assessment
for the Cache la Poudre River

An EPA National Pilot

About the program...

The purpose of the Project is to conduct a multi-phased project to develop a source water assessment (SWA) for the upper Cache la Poudre watershed. The Project is conducting the SWA within the framework established by the Colorado Source Water Assessment and Protection plan. The Water Quality Control Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) completed the ‘SWAP Plan' and submitted it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval in February 1999. The U.S. Congress is requiring states to develop and carry out the ‘Source Water Assessment Program' in its reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 (SDWA). Follow-up activities to develop and carry-out a program to protect the source water area is prudent and a natural follow-up, although neither SDWA or EPA guidance require it. CDPHE will strongly encourage individual public water systems to participate the Colordo SWAP Program. The Project represents the first attempt to test the SWA method CDPHE has proposed to EPA.

A SWA involves: (1) delineating a source water assessment area (SWAA); (2) identifying contaminants and potential sources of contamination (PSOC); and (3) analyzing the susceptibility of the water system. The SWAA will encompass the land area providing water to a public water system (PWS), including that in other watersheds (i.e., trans-basin diversions).

The first phase of the Project will set priorities for its work by first: (1) relying on data that is in digital format that is readily available and importable into ARCINFO geographic information system (GIS) software; (2) reconnoitering the entire SWAA, at a small cartographic scale (e.g., 1:250,000); (3) focusing on areas of the South Fork CLP serving the City of Fort Collins water system.

As resources are available, the Project will include (1) additional data, potentially including that derived from on-site inspection; (2) focus on areas within the SWAA of special interest (e.g., areas closer to the water intake and stream banks, areas containing PSOC), at a larger cartographic scale (e.g., 1:24,000); and (3) areas of the North Fork serving the City of Greeley water system, and potentially the entire CLP watershed to its confluence with the South Platte River.

CDPHE will use results to refine the state SWA method and to support SWAs for other Colorado public water systems (PWS). EPA will post results on its national SWAP Internet Homepage. EPA intends for other states and PWSs across the nation to benefit from this example when they begin their SWAAs.

For more information, call George Weber, Project Manager, at 303/494-8572.

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