BOTTLED WATER: FDA Safety and Consumer Protections Are Often Less Stringent Than Comparable EPA Protections for Tap Water

(GAO, GAO-09-861T, 2009, 8 pp)

Statement of John Stephenson, GAO Director Natural Resources and Environment, to House of Representatives subcommittee.

discussed lack of regulation to ensure safety of bottled water

Quality of Water from Domestic Wells in Principal Aquifers of the United States, 1991–2004, Overview of Major Findings

(USGS, 2009, 58 pp)

This recent study found that over 20% of the private wells sampled contained at least one contaminant at levels of concern for potential health issues.

Source Water Protection Becoming a Top Priority for Townships

(PA Township News, December 2008, 4 pp)

EPA's Andrea Bennett looks at township efforts to protect drinking water sources.

Drinking Water Quality in Rural Pennsylvania
and the Effect of Management Practices

(Center for Rural PA, 2009, 24 pp) 

Reports on a study conducted to better understand the prevalence and
causes of private well contamination and to evaluate the role of
regulatory versus voluntary management of private wells. Results from this study suggest a combination of educational programs for homeowners and new regulations are needed to overcome the largest barriers to safe drinking water.

Statistical Analysis of Drinking Water Treatment Plant Costs, Source Water Quality, and Land Cover Characteristics

(US EPA, USDA Forest Service, The Trust for Public Land, 30 pp, 2008)

a technical paper offering insight on the impact of the decline of forest cover and the increase of agriculture or urban land coverin a watershed on water quality and drinking water treatment costs.

Talking to your Customers about Chronic Contaminants
(US EPA, 2 pp, 2007)
a guide to help public water systems communicate with the public about drinking water risks.

Source Water Information Kit for Local Government Officials

(National Association of Counties, 2007)

Provides information on tools, techniques, and strategies to help county and local officials, especially those in rural areas, protect drinking water supplies.

Path to Protection - Ten Strategies for Successful Source Water Protection

(Trust for Public Land, 2005, 23 pp.)

Summarizes successful strategies from five source water protection demonstration projects funded by EPA.

Conserving Forest to Protect Water

(American Water Works Association, May 2004, 5 pp)

Running Pure
(World Bank and World Wildlife Fund International, 2003, 112 pp.) Identifies forests as a necessity for source water protection in a study of 105 city water supplies.