Encourage Local Cooperation To Protect Water Sources

We receive our drinking water from either groundwater or surface water sources. Both groundwater and surface water are constantly moving. Therefore, contamination that occurs outside of your community could eventually reach your tap.

Reach out to neighboring communities!

Here are some ideas:
  • Inform them that their actions have an affect on their neighbors.
  • Encourage them to create a Source Water Protection Plan.
  • Involve them in your source water protection meetings and educational events.
  • Encourage their businesses and residents to adopt best management practices. Share brochures and mailers with them.
  • Encourage them to visit our website.
  • Encourage them to visit DEQ’s Source Water Assessment database to see where their own drinking water comes from, how groundwater moves, and possible sources of contamination in their area.
The maps below are examples taken from the SWA online database. They exemplify why cooperation with your neighbors in paramount to source water protection!
The map above is taken from DEQ’s online SWA database for the City of Shoshone. It shows the direction and time-of-travel zones for groundwater being captured by Shoshone’s wells. As the map shows, drinking water for the City of Shoshone first passes under the City of Richfield. If there were any pollution occurring in Richfield, it could eventually reach the intake for Shoshone’s wells.
The map shown above, is from the SWA online database for the City of Teton. Similar to the map for Shoshone, it shows that Teton’s drinking water passes under the City of Newdale.
The actions of your neighbors can have a negative impact on your drinking water source! Similarly, your actions can impact the quality of water that others depend on. Please, be conscientious of your behavior and encourage the same in others. Source water protection is truly reliant upon participation from all of us!