A safe and reliable drinking water supply has always played a large role in defining the quality of life for residents of developing cities and towns. As a result public health and water quality were now elevated to the same level of importance as the quantity of water available. With the advancement of technology in the industrialized countries also came advances in water treatment processes. States, municipalities and water suppliers came to rely on engineering as the primary method of insuring a safe drinking water supply for their citizens. The foundation for prevention activities is a partnership among local governments, water suppliers, consumers and residents of the watershed.
Assessments apply to all public water supplies whether the source is ground water or surface water.
The Maryland Department of the Environment already has two EPA approved programs in place which have provided the Department with a headstart for source water assessments for ground water systems. The monitoring waiver program established definitions and criteria for sources to be classified as confined aquifers and established procedures for reviewing potential contaminant sources within a fixed distance of wells. The waiver program helped prioritize the sampling of Maryland's water systems for pesticide and organic chemical analysis. Information on contaminant sources collected under the waiver program and associated monitoring will be instrumental for beginning the assessment process. Wellhead protection areas have been delineated, potential sources of contamination have been identified and an assessment of the risk and management recommendations have been made for these systems.