Source Water Assessment Program

• What is the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP)?
• What is the Potomac Basin's Relationship to DC's water supply?
• What are the major tasks of the SWAP?
• When will the Source Water Assessment be completed?
• How can I access the information?

What is the Potomac Basin's Relationship to DC's water supply?
The District of Columbia draws its drinking water from the Potomac River. It faces a unique situation in that its water supply and drinking water intakes are entirely outside of the city's borders. As a result, the District must work with several bordering states-Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania-when addressing water supply issues.

What are the major tasks of the SWAP?

• Source delineation: This task involves the identification of the locations of drinking water intakes and delineation of the watershed contributing to the District of Columbia drinking water supply.
• Inventory of potential contaminants: Potential contaminants, including contaminants listed in the National Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Regulations, within the delineated area will be located and identified.
• Susceptibility analysis: The susceptibility of the intakes to drawing contaminants (including those identified in the inventory) will be conducted.
• Stakeholder participation: Throughout the course of the study, stakeholder participation will be assured.

When will the Source Water Assessment be completed?
The projected completion date is early April 2002.

How can I access the information?
The final results of the Assessment will be made available to the public. The presentation of results to stakeholders and the public at large will include the findings of the Assessment as presented in the final report. In addition to paper copies, and in order to facilitate the widest possible dissemination of results, the findings will be made available on the Internet with links to the US Environmental Protection Agency's "Surf Your Watershed" website.