Source Water Protection Vision Statement Signed

February 27, 2006

On Feb. 17, 2006, EPA and 13 national organizations signed a vision statement expressing the members’ commitment to work together to protect drinking water now and in the future.

“This is an important step forward in our source water and watershed cooperative conservation efforts,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for Water. “We look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders in shaping the nation's drinking water protection goals.”

This Source Water Collaborative agrees to do the following:

- Share information with each other, through regular communication and during quarterly meetings;

- Develop recommendations together with stakeholders in land stewardship and planning, beginning with this document, about what is needed to protect sources of drinking water; and

-Package and disseminate recommendations, through organization membership, with partners and through the media, in ways that are useful in land-use and stewardship decisions.

Drinking water protection should be built into land-use planning and stewardship. The quality, quantity and cost of drinking water depend on it. The recent droughts and disasters have underscored the nation's dependence on a safe and reliable water supply. Action now can protect drinking water for generations to come.

Source: EPA February 27, 2006