Quality of Water Supply Sources

AWWA Policy Statement on Quality of Water Supply Sources

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) supports all actions to secure drinking water from high quality sources and protect those to the maximum degree practicable. Resource use and development should avoid or minimize degradation of any drinking water source. AWWA is committed to protecting public health and water supply sources by supporting scientific research and decision making based on sound scientific data and best practices.

AWWA strongly believes that the quality of existing and prospective sources of drinking water supply should be protected, maintained, and – where feasible, improved. Protecting source waters from contamination is fundamental to ensuring high quality drinking water. To reach the goal of producing quality drinking water, it is often more effective and sustainable to prevent source water contamination than it is to treat water from a compromised source.

AWWA recommends that source water protection plans be site‐specific with prioritized scientific, technical, managerial, financial, and communication strategies to protect water quality. Source water protection is a collective effort and requires partnerships among stakeholders. A timetable for implementation should be included.

Practices specified in this policy statement are consistent with all other pertinent AWWA policy statements.

Adopted by the Board of Directors June 8, 1975, and withdrawn Jan. 25, 1987. Adopted by the Board of Directors June 19, 1988, and revised June 11, 2000, June 15, 2003, January 21, 2007, January 17, 2010, January 2017, October 2020, and March 27, 2025.