Drinking Water Protection Resources for State Collaboratives

On April 21, the national Source Water Collaborative (SWC) held a call with representatives of several state source water collaboratives. They discussed common challenges and needs for sustaining their state collaboratives.

National SWC leaders on the call shared the following set of resources that in addition to states, should be helpful for anyone who is (or is interested in) collaborating with partners; wanting to conduct outreach, and/or considering how to use funding from state DWSRF, CWSRF, and 319 programs for land acquisition and other types of projects.

• National SWC tools and resources

• • How to Collaborate Toolkit (includes a step-by-step approach to building and maintaining collaboratives with many sample materials)
  • Learning Exchange webinars and resources (topics include: funding sources, managing nutrient pollution, creative partnerships, emergency preparedness, and more)
• New ideas for getting people and water systems interested in doing source water protection
  • Your Water Your Decision Guide for Local Officials 
• Working with Clean Water and other state programs to coordinate funding – SRF green project reserve and sponsorship program, 319 nonpoint source program (including groundwater)
  • ASDWA CWA-SDWA web page: features resources and recorded webinars, including one with Nevada and Nebraska on DWSRF and 319
• Using DWSRF set-asides for purchasing land
  • EPA’s Fact Sheet on Using DWSRF Set-Asides for SWP: includes some information about Nebraska’s efforts, and two examples (from Washington and Maine) on using the DWSRF set-asides to purchase land.
  • November 2019 Presentations at Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities (CIFA) SRF Workshop on Use of DWSRF Set-asides for SWP: This includes presentations by EPA, ASDWA (on multiple state programs), Nebraska, and Maine on their land acquisition program.

Stay Tuned for More

• The national SWC’s Network Subgroup is in the process of updating its national map of collaboratives and is planning a series of regular calls to help collaboratives working to protect sources of drinking water.
• ASDWA is hosting a May 14^th webinar, Thinking Bigger with Asset Management: There’s Room for Source Water Protection.
• Details about how to register for the June 4^th National SWC Webinar, Updates from NRCS and the Northeast: Partnering to Protect Drinking Water, will be shared here soon.