Building a Sustainable Water Supply with Source Water Protection Plans

The need to protect source water is growing exponentially as drinking water supplies throughout the NWPA region continue to be threatened by water quality and quantity constraints. Population growth and the depletion of the sandstone aquifers are pressuring many communities to rely more heavily on shallow aquifers or turn to a different water source entirely. However, these sources also have their share of complications. Shallow aquifers are vulnerable to contamination given their proximity to the land’s surface. At the same time, dry spells and drought conditions diminish supply in shallow aquifers and rivers. Weather trends like these will likely be more prevalent as climate change upends the region, making these sources less reliable into the future. 


In response to this need for improved protection, state legislation was passed in July 2019 requiring that community water suppliers (CWSs) develop a source water protection plan (SWPP) – a plan aimed at advancing the protection of the water quality and quantity at the community level. In an effort to better coordinate and conserve the region’s water resources, this type of plan can help a community protect its source water. 


Source Water Protection Plans 101 
Each SWPP must contain at minimum four specific elements: a vision statement, a source water assessment, plan objectives, and an action plan to meet the plan’s objectives (see Ill. Admin. Code tit. 35, § 604.305). 

• The ‘vision statement’ needs to articulate the CWS’s policies and commitment to source water protection, the resources available to protect source water, and the barriers that a CWS faces when protection source water, as well as the names of the individuals who developed the vision statement.  
• The ‘source water assessment’ needs to highlight the importance of the source water, outline water supplies that are obtained from the CWS, delineate all source waters, report out the quality of the source water for all sources identified as well as the finished water, identify potential sources of contamination, and describe the source water protection efforts by the CWS that are currently underway. 
• The ‘plan objectives’ can address specific problems or issues identified within the source water assessment as well as more broadly tied to meeting section requirements of the SWPP. 

• The ‘action plan’ is a roadmap to implementation; it needs to outline specific actions for achieving the plan’s objectives. 
  
  
  

A CWS will need to submit a plan to Illinois EPA based on size of the population served (as specified in Illinois EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Information System database) and whether or not they existed prior to the adoption of the new regulation. CWSs serving a population that is greater than 50,000 will need to complete a SWPP by July 2022. Communities serving a population that is greater than 3,000 but less than 50,000 has until July 2023 and for those serving a population that is under 3,000 have until 2024 to complete their SWPP. Most NWPA communities with a CWS will need to complete their plan by 2023. A CWS will also need to submit a revised SWPP, alongside a construction permit application, if they plan and/or are pursuing a new source of drinking water.  


Leveraging SWPPs in the NWPA region 
While SWPPs are a requirement for all CWSs, communities should view their plan—more specifically the planning process—as an opportunity to comprehensively address the community’s source water protection challenges. In addition to the baseline requirements, CWSs could assess existing water conservation efforts in search for opportunities to ‘protect’ source water by simply using less, whether that be through reducing outdoor water use or water efficiency measures. Similarly, CWSs can assess the community’s future land use as well as projected water demand relative to the community’s water supply to better understand future challenges and potential options.  


Like many planning processes, stakeholder engagement and community support and buy-in are key to plan implementation. This holds true for SWPPs as well. Recognizing that CWSs are not the only actor vested in source water protection, the SWPP planning process can help CWSs improve coordination and align efforts as they identify stakeholders, engage with the public, and learn about other existing source water protection efforts within the CWS service area. Soil and water conservation districts, chambers of commerce, and local watershed planning groups are a few entities, for example, that may have a role in helping implement a CWS’s SWPP action plan. 


Aurora, Elgin, and Sugar Grove are a few NWPA communities that are in the process of developing a SWPP that goes beyond the minimum requirements. These CWSs can serve as a resource to other communities that are interested in learning about the planning process and how to approach the SWPP development more comprehensively. Elgin, for instance, is focusing on stakeholder and community engagement to give the CWS an opportunity to take advantage of existing protection efforts already underway and garner community support to minimize barriers to plan implementation. Sugar Grove's SWPP provides a thorough assessment of water quality impacts, including a detailed overview of their wellhead protection areas and evaluating potential sources of contamination based on point sources and the existing land uses within the community. 


Resources for preparing SWPPs 
There are a variety of resources that can help CWSs get started on their SWPP! Back in the early 2000s, the Illinois EPA developed Community Water Supply Source Water Assessment Program Factsheets. These function as a great starting point for a CWS as it develops its source water assessment. The Illinois EPA also an interactive map with a series of datasets than can also help with preparing the assessment. Upon request, a CWS can seek technical assistance for the Illinois EPA to help develop their source water assessment. Communities can simply use the factsheets, albeit outdated, to fulfill their assessment requirement as well. In addition to IEPA resources, the NWPA has numerous resources that can help a community prepare a SWPP. They have a repository of the latest studies and data on drinking water supplies in northeastern Illinois as well as tools to assist with source water protection and promote best management practices in outdoor water use, sensible salting, and water conservation. The American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) also has a Source Water Protection Operational Guide which is an easy-to-read guide that can help CWSs walk through the SWPP planning process and create an effective plan. IL AWWA even has source water protection committee that can serve a resource as CWSs prepare their SWPP.