Source Water Protection Technical Assistance Program (SWPTAP)
/
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Pennsylvania
Providing protection for water supplies. Source Water Protection has been a growing concern for many municipalities and community water systems. To help protect Pennsylvania’s drinking water, the Department of Environmental Protection created the Source Water Protection Technical Assistance Program (SWPTAP). This program provides funding and expertise to develop a Source Water Protection Plan. Community water systems that participate receive free assistance in delineating protection zones, developing strategies for managing the protection areas, and planning for the future. It is a voluntary program that benefits water systems with groundwater wells, springs, reservoirs, river intakes, or any combination of these water sources. All types of community water systems are eligible to participate in SWPTAP including municipal, authority, water associations, and investor-owned (private) systems throughout the Commonwealth.
In conjunction with PADEP, SSM assists water systems in developing source water protection plans using GIS. Our professionals delineate protective zones around each well or surface water intake to show the areas that contribute to the drinking water supply, working closely with the water supplier and community representatives to identify ways of protecting these areas. Our team identifies potential sources of contamination, develops protective management strategies, plans for emergencies, and identifies new water supply options. Our ultimate goal is to protect the source for future generations.