AWWA Launches New Source Water Protection Week

Chi Ho Sham

Rebecca Ohrtman

Jennifer Heymann The American Water Works Association (AWWA) invites water utilities, sections, and other partners to join in declaring Sept. 26 – Oct. 2, 2022, as the firstever “Source Water Protection Week.”

Throughout the week, AWWA will be raising awareness about the importance of protecting precious drinking water sources. AWWA’s Source Water Protection Week materials are now available, and additional resources will be added until September 26.

“AWWA and many other organizations at the federal, state, and local level recognize the need to join forces to advance the protection of limited drinking water at the source,” said Chi Ho Sham, AWWA past president. “This includes sharing tools and information, collecting data, supporting assessment and protection plans, and encouraging upstream entities to take on shared responsibility.”

As part of Source Water Protection Week, AWWA is hosting a #ShowYourSource social media contest. Beginning September 26, utilities and partner organizations are encouraged to post photos or short videos on social media using the hashtag #ShowYourSource to showcase their precious water sources.

The idea of an AWWA Source Water Protection Week stems from a meeting with Sham; Jennifer Heymann of American Water, a past chair of AWWA’s Source Water Protection Committee, and a current trustee and vice chair of the Water Resource Sustainability Division; and Rebecca Ohrtman of Water Quality Consulting LLC, a water quality consultant with 15 years of source water protection program experience at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Ohrtman facilitated the establishment of the 2016 Iowa Source Water Protection Week. This concept expanded upon a Source Water Protection Week that American Water employees celebrated in September 2020.

“Those of us on the front lines of drinking water protection share a unique opportunity to protect local water sources, including surface water and groundwater, as part of an effective and cost-efficient multiple-barrier approach to providing reliable and high-quality drinking water to the communities we serve,” said Heymann.

Ohrtman noted that many water quality and quantity challenges are both pressing and ongoing. “We can utilize new technologies to update and improve source water assessments and collaborate with local stakeholders to develop viable source water protection plans,” she said. “When implemented, these plans can reduce risks to drinking water supplies, providing public health advantages, as well as economic benefits,” she added. “Source water planning provides local awareness and education.”

More information about source water protection is available on AWWA’s resource page at www.awwa. org, where Source Water Protection Week materials can also be downloaded.

Other information is available at the Source Water Collaborative Learning Exchange website at www.sourcewatercollaborative.org. S