The Source Water Collaboration (SWC) has announced a call to action to address national water quality and quantity challenges. The initiative is called “A Recommitment to Assessing and Protecting Sources of Drinking Water.”

SWC includes 22 national organizations including the National Ground Water Association (NGWA). The call to action was launched in December 2014, in conjunction with the Safe Drinking Water Act.

“Why a call to action now? As a nation we face a host of water quality and quantity challenges that are both pressing and ongoing,” SWC says. “Persistent threats and challenges, and disastrous chemical spills highlight the importance of safe drinking water to public health and local economies.”

SWC’s goal is to adequately protect all drinking water sources across the nation. The coalition has drawn up three key actions to see that the vision is successfully carried out.

• Improve source water assessments and protection plans to prioritize risks and actions.
• Take priority actions and work with key partners to protect drinking water sources.
• Coordinate, plan and communicate in advance with key upstream partners and within water utilities to ensure rapid notifications are available to prompt mitigation measures in emergencies.

“The public and private costs of inaction can be extensive,” SWC says. “Together, we must consider lessons learned over the past decade and apply newly available resources to prioritize threats and protect drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater.”

The SWC was founded in 2006 in an effort to combine the resources of a diverse set of organizations and ultimately protect drinking water. The Groundwater Protection Council, Groundwater Foundation and Water Systems Council are among the members of the collaborative.

To learn more about the Source Water Collaborative, visit www.sourcewatercollaborative.org.