Source Protection
Q: Is there funding for Wellhead Protection?
A: Yes. The Drinking Water Program has set aside a total of $75,000 for the grant program for year 2006. Individual grants will not exceed $5,000. All community and non-profit non-community public water suppliers that have a supply well are eligible. Projects must be clearly intended to decrease the likelihood of contamination of the water source by existing or future activities. Examples include, but are not limited to removal of septic systems in the wellhead protection area, implementing safety/security measures for the wellhead, developing a wellhead protection plan, implementing a wellhead protection plan, establishing local protection ordinances, and developing outreach and education materials. Regular maintenance activities, infrastructure development and land acquisition are not eligible for this program.
For more information visit the Source Protection section of the Drinking Water Program website.
Q: Where can I get a copy of the Model Wellhead Protection Ordinance and BMP manual?
A: You can download a copy of both documents from the Source Protection Section of the Drinking Water Program website, or you can contact Alex Wong, Groundwater Program Manager for a paper copy.
Q: What are the benefits of Source Protection?
A: Aside from water quality, there are considerable financial reasons to protect your water source from contamination.
By being enrolled in the Wellhead Protection Program at the Drinking Water Program, a public water supplier can qualify for reduced water quality testing requirements. Less testing = money saved.
If you have a surface water source, the water quality and health of the lake is directly related to property values on the shorefront as well as in town. A recent study by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection found that shorefront property decreased in value between 3.1% and 8.5% for every meter decrease in water clarity. That reduction in property value can also ripple through the community. If the lakes in Belgrade were to lose one meter of water quality, the study found that taxes over the entire town would rise over 5% to make up for the lost revenue. In a typical year, public water suppliers provide their customers 93.5 million user days worth $141 million. Lakes in general provide a direct benefit of over $1 billion to the local economy*
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." The cost of prevention can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The cost remediation can range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars.**
*Figures are taken from How much are Maine Lakes Worth? and Economics of Lakes, reports from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
**Figures taken from The Costs of No Wellhead Protection in Maine: A Study of the Costs of Cure vs. Prevention by Emery and Garrett Groundwater, Inc., 1993.
Q: What is the largest risk to drinking water in Maine?
A: Unchecked development. The Drinking Water Program, in their Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) identified future development as the greatest threat to drinking water quality. We are fortunate to have a large amount of undeveloped land in the state. However, there are little to no controls in place, both locally and state-wide to ensure that drinking water sources which are now protected by simply being in a remote location remain protected into the future.
Q: What sources of funding exist for source protection?
A: Here are some ideas for potential sources of source protection funding by topic:
- Capacity Development Maine Drinking Water Program (Capacity Development Grant)
- Invasive Plants Lakes Environmental Association (Invasive Aquatic Plants Cost Share Grants)
- Land Acquisition Maine Community Foundation (Fund for Conservation Land Acquisition), Maine Drinking Water Program (Land Acquisition Loans), Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Maine State Planning Office (Land for Maine's Future Program)
- Watershed Management Captain Planet Foundation, Finance Authority of Maine (Nutrient Management Loan Program), Jane’s Trust, Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Control ("319") Grants, Small Community Grant Program, State Revolving Load Fund, and Watershed Protection Grants), and Maine Department of Transportation (Surface Water Quality Protection Program)
- Wellhead Protection Maine Drinking Water Program (Wellhead Protection Grants), Captain Planet Foundation, Finance Authority of Maine (Nutrient Management Loan Program), Jane's Trust, Maine Department of Environmental Protection (Small Community Grant Program and State Revolving Load Fund), and Maine Department of Transportation (Surface Water Quality Protection Program)
Q: To what extent do state-wide laws and regulations protect drinking water?
A: Due to the highly variable nature of source protection needs and local conditions, few state-wide laws and regulations directly protect drinking water in Maine. Many of the protections in-place are aimed at another goal, yet also protect drinking water by chance. Some notable exceptions to this rule include Title 35-A MRSA 6408, which gives water districts the right to acquire land, and Title 22 MRSA 2642 which allows municipalities to regulate watershed and wellhead protection areas.
Your best ally (aside from MRWA) in source protection is your local municipality. With your expertise and the municipality's ability to regulate and enforce, you have the tools necessary to help protect your supply. Currently, the Maine Drinking Water Program and others are working under Resolve 029 (formerly LD 1265, as amended) on a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Natural Resources. The report will address whether or not additional requirements are needed for source water protection in Maine and recommend any necessary options to address those needs.
Q: Do you have any tools to assist me with community education and outreach?
A: MRWA is ready, willing and able to assist you in source protection. Our Wellhead Protection (contact Alex Wong) and Sourcewater Protection (contact Susan Breau) Programs are a great place to start. We also have classroom educators who can visit schools in your area to help convey your message via interactive models, games, stories and other tools. We use existing lessons or tailor the plans to your needs. Contact us if you are interested in any of these programs.
Q: Are there water quantity issues in Maine?
A: We are fortunate in Maine to have enough natural precipitation that we do not have the sustained water quantity issues that exist in other regions. However, water quantity is currently a hot topic in Maine due to the drought in 2001/2002, and increased population, development and commercial pumping demands.
According to a collaborative research effort between the University of Maine Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research and the Maine Drinking Water Program, 53 public water supplies were affected by the 2001/2002 drought. State-wide, 45 of 400 groundwater systems and 8 of 68 surface water systems were impacted. The research suggests that systems most likely to be impacted by future drought will be small surface water supplies, particularly those located in coastal communities, at times of peak demand.
Groundwater withdrawals in Maine are on the rise due to increased population, development and commercial pumping demands. Although no regional groundwater quantity impacts have been noted, some localized issues have emerged due to these competing interests.
On the regulatory side, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has prepared draft sustainable water use rules for surface waters as required by statute. We continue to work with DEP in this process to communicate and protect your interests.
