Source Protection Brochures

How businesses can protect drinking water supplies:
Best management practices for businesses that help protect drinking water supplies from contamination.
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What Departments of Public Works can do to protect drinking water supplies:
How public works departments protect drinking water supplies by safely maintaining vehicles, road structures, and handling wastes.
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How residents can help protect drinking water supplies:
Residents can protect drinking water sources by properly managing pet waste, landscaping, and household hazards.
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What city planners do to protect drinking water supplies:
Through the use of municipal bylaws and working with local businesses, city planners can protect drinking water supplies.
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How groundwater suppliers work to protect drinking water supplies:
Providing information to town residents, businesses, and municipal officials is one method that groundwater suppliers use to ensure high quality drinking water.
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How surface water suppliers work to protect drinking water supplies:
To avoid problems in drinking water supplies, surface water suppliers practice long-term protection methods to minimize the impacts of land uses on reservoirs.
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Water Supply Protection Area Definitions

Definitions of Water Supply Protection area terms
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Water Supply Protection Area Maps

Find local water supply areas using the MassGIS Interactive Map Viewer
Web site

Drinking Water Emergency Response

What measures do Public Water Systems take to protect drinking water sources during an unexpected or unforeseen emergency?
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Drinking Water Protection Tips

Septic systems and the incorrect storage of hazardous materials can affect local water supplies. Find out how you can prevent contamination.
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Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant Program

MassDEP provides grants to municipalities and PWSs to help protect existing public drinking water supplies through land acquisitions. See a list of recent grant recipients & awards.
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Horsekeeping: Managing animal care while protecting public health & drinking water supplies

View a set of fact sheets that encourage best management practices for landowners with horses. These simple practices can prevent the contamination of water supplies in the Commonwealth.
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Waiver/Source Protection Templates

Systems with Interim Wellhead Protection Areas (IWPAs) will find these templates helpful when applying for monitoring waivers.

Sample of a letter to residences and businesses located in a Zone I.
MS Word 24 KB | PDF 15 KB

"Clean Water is up to you" sample fact sheet
MS Word 29 KB | PDF 18 KB

Sample of an indoor poster for source protection
MS Word 25 KB | PDF 18 KB

Sample of a Zone I/IWPA land use map
MS Word 145 KB | PDF 16 KB

Sample diagram of a manifolded source
MS Word 25 KB | PDF 9 KB

Wellhead Protection Plan checklist
MS Word 34 KB | PDF 12 KB

Order form to purchase source protection signs (from the Northeast Rural Water Association)
MS Word 155 KB | PDF 100 KB

Resources

Your Local Board of Health - Massachusetts Association of Health Boards website
Web site

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Surface Water Guidance Documents

Reservoir Maintenance: If not properly maintained, reservoirs can damage wetlands and other water resources.
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Developing a Local Surface Water Supply Protection Plan: This document provides water suppliers with a low-cost method of developing a protection plan that uses existing information.
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Beaver & muskrat control: Beaver & muskrat populations can pose a threat to drinking water supplies by contaminating the water with dangerous pathogens.
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Source Protection Forms

Includes beaver & muskrat notification, Report Protocol for Awareness of New or Expanded Watershed Projects
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Project Awareness Protocol for Review of Activities Within Watersheds

Many drinking water suppliers review proposals that may affect the watershed. Recommendations to local boards on specific performance standards and protection measures are just one step in this review.
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Disinfection Log Credit

Web page

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Floor Drains: Model Regulation

MS Word 38 KB | PDF 25 KB

Floor Drains: Planning & implementation guidance

The following tips are designed to assist local officials with planning and implementing a floor drain control (regulation or bylaw) as required by 310 CMR 22.21(a)(8).
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Groundwater Protection Model Regulations

By defining a purpose for this regulation, a municipality has the opportunity to consider the unique land use issues and problems that are of concern to their community. Boards of Health are encouraged to adapt these forms to specifically address their communities needs.

Model regulation:
MS Word 52 KB | PDF 34 KB

Model Groundwater Protection District Bylaw/Ordinance
Prior to adopting this Model, municipalities should compare the language of their existing protection controls (including any non-zoning controls) with the Wellhead Protection Regulations. Additionally, it is recommended communities consult with their municipal counsel prior to adoption.
MS Word 126 KB | PDF 50 KB

Hazardous Materials Management

A community's guide to developing & implementing a local regulation to protect drinking water resources.
MS Word 217 KB | PDF 391 KB

Horsekeeping: Managing animal care while protecting public health & drinking water supplies

View a set of MassDEP fact sheets that encourage best management practices for landowners with horses. These simple practices can prevent the contamination of water supplies in the Commonwealth.
Web page

Manure Management: Protecting Water Resources from Nutrient Pollution - A factsheet from the MA Department of Food & Agriculture
PDF 244 KB

Model Water Use Restriction Bylaw/Ordinance

MS Word 40 KB | PDF 74 KB

Protecting Drinking Water with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund

Information from US EPA
US EPA Web site

Drinking Water Protection Tips

Septic systems and the incorrect storage of hazardous materials can affect local water supplies. Find out how you can prevent contamination.
Web page

Public Water System Award Winners

Winning systems are determined based on their compliance with state drinking water regulations. Find out how your system did!
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Sample Water Supply Planning Checklist

This checklist was developed to provide local officials with a method for reviewing & commenting on projects prior to permitting them in water supply areas.
MS Word 40 KB | PDF 39 KB

What You Need to Know about Microbial Contamination

Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa can cause a number of waterborne diseases when ingested through your drinking water. Find out what protective measures you can take to control contamination.
Web page

Massachusetts Department of Food & Agriculture: Protecting Water Sources from Fertilizer

PDF 166 KB

The Massachusetts Water Management Act Program

Description of the program
Web page 

Model Zone II Conservation Restriction for Drinking Water Protection

Use with land acquisition permit application BRP WS-26
Web page

Developing a Local Wellhead Protection Plan

MS Word 1 MB | PDF 44 KB

Impervious Surface Zoning Bylaw

Web page

Making Wellhead Protection Work in Massachusetts

PDF 944 KB

Model Zone I Conservation Restriction for Water Supply Protection

MS Word 73 KB | PDF 42 KB

Model Zone II Conservation Restriction for Water Supply Protection

Model Conservation Restriction for acquiring control of land in the Zone II.
MS Word 131 KB | PDF 73 KB

Massachusetts Forestry Best Management Practices Manual

Referenced in the Model Zone II Conservation Restriction, above
PDF 515 KB

Water Supply Protection Areas and Wellhead Compliance

Web page

Wellhead Protection Guidance: The Best Effort Requirement

Guidance on achieving compliance with DEP's Best Effort Requirement regulation, 2006
Web page

Wellhead Protection Tips for Small Public Water Systems

Web page | PDF 40 KB

Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Drinking Water Website

Web site

Massachusetts Department of Food & Agriculture Publication: Protecting Groundwater from Pesticides

PDF 279 KB

Tips for Small Systems

Wellhead Protection Tips for small system owners and operators
Web page

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Overview of the Source Water Assessment & Protection Program

Web page

MS Word 22 KB | PDF 12 KB

SWAP Zone II Projects by Region

Western Region: Web page | Central Region: Web page
Southeast Region: Web page | Northeast Region: Web page

Sample SWAP Language for your CCR

MS Word 28 KB

Sample TNC SWAP Report and Map

Report: MS Word 57 KB | Map: MS Word 761 KB

Massachusetts SWAP Strategy Report

MS Word 636 KB

Massachusetts SWAP Strategy Appendices

Appendix A
MS Word 52 KB
Appendix B
MS Word 76  KB
Appendix C
MS Word 88 KB

SWAP Strategy Addendum

MS Word 78 KB

Draft Land Use/Associated Contaminants Matrix

MS Word 73 KB

US EPA Draft Drinking Water Contaminant Source Index

US EPA Web site

SWAP and Boards of Health

MS Word 116 KB

SWAP Effects on the MassDEP Waste Site Cleanup Program

Web page

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About SWAP Reports

Description of the SWAP Reports
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SWAP Reports

Listing of dowloadable SWAP Reports
Southeast Region: Web page
Central Region: Web page
Northeast Region: Web page
Western Region: Web page

SWAP Zone II Delineations

Listing of Zone II delineations in the Regions
Central Region: Web page
Northeast Region: Web page
Southeast Region: Web page
Western Region: Web page

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