These potential problems could be eliminated or alleviated in the future if more preventive, proactive management strategies are developed and carried out. Source water protection allows a community to focus its management efforts, avoid excessive management and regulations in areas that do not contribute ground water or surface water to public water supplies and avoid spending time and funds on protecting non-critical areas where source water contamination is low. Just as watershed protection is a method of prioritizing activities within a state or region, source water protection is a method of prioritizing activities in a given watershed. Watersheds typically encompass a much larger area of land than actually drains to the drinking water supply. Within a watershed there may be different types of source water protection needed each with its own prioritization needs.
Watershed protection requires an integrated and holistic approach to program management.
Depending on the area, source water protection may involve wellhead protection, the protection of surface water reservoirs, or the protection of rivers and streams. In reality, most source water protection areas will be a combination of at least two of these protection activities. Create public ownership by involving all stakeholders in the process. Successful programs must go beyond the traditional state and federal requirements and include special management practices specifically tailored for the identified recharge area. Often, comprehensive watershed and source water protection can be achieved by re-prioritizing existing programs.