# data[].attributes.body
CASE STUDY – FROM CRISIS TO ACTION: CITIZEN ACTION FOR SOURCE WATER PROTECTION

In January 2014, West Virginia experienced a coal-washing chemical (crude 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol, or MCHM) spill from an above-ground storage tank. The tank was located along the Elk River upstream of the intake of West Virginia American Water. The spill resulted in a “do not use” drinking water advisory for up to 300,000 residents within nine counties in the Charleston, West Virginia metropolitan area. In the four days before the “do not use” advisory was lifted, local businesses lost close to $61 million. Following the spill, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition (WVRC) mobilized the community to advance policy reform that mandates public-informed source water protection planning.

The spill highlighted the vulnerability of clean and safe drinking water for all communities and provided a clear opportunity to move people to action. Throughout this crisis, WVRC engaged a broad range of community members to develop plans for safeguarding their water sources for the future and created a diverse coalition to demand better protections from state policy-makers. As a result, the state legislature passed a law requiring water systems to develop source water protection plans and to substantially involve the public in this process. These actions were just the first step. WVRC then developed Safe Water for West Virginia, a community education program that expanded their engagement effort, including reaching out to underrepresented communities to ensure that community groups could play a constructive role in developing and implementing these plans. WVRC developed and deployed a Citizen’s Guide to Getting Involved in Drinking Water Protection and engaged over 3,000 community members in the source water protection process. WVRC’s outreach efforts are highlighted in the Expanding the Circle report.

This is an excerpt from River Network's Drinking Water Guide.

# data[].attributes.body
Learn about consumer confidence reports (CCRs)

# data[].attributes.body
SOURCE WATER COLLABORATIVE

In 2006, several organizations joined together to form the national Source Water Collaborative (SWC) with the goal of combining their strengths and tools to protect drinking water sources for generations to come. Comprising over 30 federal, state, and local partners, the SWC works to further the goals of protecting sources of drinking water—recognizing the challenge of source water protection and the value of coordinated action. Source Water Collaborative resources include case studies on successful source water protection, funding sources, suggestions for potential partners, and resources on emergency response.

Additionally, Clean Water Action’s Source Water Stewardship Guide provides good background on how to foster engagement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Message from Co-Chairs
Lynn Thorp, Clean Water Action
Deirdre White, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
As your new co-chairs, we are committed to the power of our diverse collaboration, to making sure we are always engaging, reinvigorating, making progress protecting drinking water sources, and making sure more key audiences see source water protection as a crucial and exciting thing.

We are excited for the 50 th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act in 2022 to leverage the momentum and highlight how the provisions in the Act can create opportunities to protect both surface water and groundwater sources of drinking water.

We have lots of great tools and resources. Let's share them to enhance source water protection collaboration efforts with many diverse partners at the national, state, and local levels across the whole country.

Together we can reach thousands of people!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Comprised of federal, state, and local partners, the SWC has come together to further the goals of protecting sources of drinking water.

# data[].attributes.body
River Network published a Drinking Water Guide: A Resource for Advocates in 2019 to equip water advocates across the country with a critical resource to engage on drinking water safety, sustainability, and access at the local, state or national level.

# data[].attributes.body
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION CASE STUDY

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) supplies drinking water to the City of Seattle and its regional customers. SPU has an aggressive watershed management and protection plan for the 91,000 acres of the Upper Cedar River Municipal watershed and the 13,300 acres of the South Fork Tolt River watershed. This plan includes the elimination of timber harvesting for commercial purposes and the removal of approximately 40 percent of forest roads. Agricultural, industrial and recreational activities are prohibited in the watersheds, and access to these watersheds is highly restricted. As a result, the only treatment the water receives before delivery to the consumer is disinfection using ozone, ultraviolet light and chlorine.

# data[].attributes.body
In a 1996 issue of River Network's River Voices newsletter, the history of the SDWA is explained by Daniel A. Okun, a Kenan Professor of Environmental Engineering, Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Laurene Allen, a community advocate addressing PFAS contamination in New Hampshire. 

# data[].attributes.body
"“It’s that chemical mess, what we’re really looking at is making sure federally that this really does stop the source. We need the source stopped, we need polluter accountability, we need them to pay for what they caused, and we need proper regulation, and we need money for communities who are—we hear this phrase forever chemicals—you don’t just filter this stuff and that’s it. These filters and all the granulated activated carbon—where’s it going? Oh, an incinerator? It’s going to pollute somewhere else! We need better solutions, we should not be paying for what we didn’t cause.” - Laurene Allen, Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water

Learn more from Laurene here: https://www.rivernetwork.org/interview/laurene-allen/

And here: Cleanwaternh.org

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.q2Ife73I
Laurene Allen, Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water

# data[].attributes.body
The passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act was a critical milestone but in cities like Flint and Detroit, lead contamination and water shutoffs exposed how many communities still lack safe, affordable drinking water.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2024 SDWA Audiogram - Liz Kirkwood_small

# data[].attributes.body
Community leaders in East Palo Alto are organizing for clean, affordable water.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2024 SDWA Audiogram - Osvaldo Macias_small

# data[].attributes.body
Faced with stronger storms and climate disruption, communities in the Gulf are working together to ensure everyone can live and thrive with water.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2024 SDWA Audiogram - Rebecca Malpass_small

# data[].attributes.body
The Southern Environmental Law Center is working with communities to hold industry accountable for PFAS contamination.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2024 SDWA Audiogram - Bonnie Angermeier_small

# data[].attributes.body
Milwaukee Water Commons is working for safe drinking water standards that build trust in tap water.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2024 SDWA Audiogram - Felice Green_small

# data[].attributes.body
Residents came together after realizing their drinking water supply has been contaminated with toxic PFAS chemicals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2024 SDWA Audiogram - Jennifer Rawlison_small

# data[].attributes.body
Working to remove PFAS chemicals from local drinking water supply.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2024 SDWA Audiogram - Laurene Allen_small

# data[].attributes.body
Washington, D.C. experienced the worst lead in drinking water crisis in the 2000s leading to childhood lead poisoning. Campaign for Lead Free Water is working for a filter-first program so every person can have safe water to drink.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2024 SDWA Audiogram - Yanna Lambrinidou_small

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Our Prevention educator Shari Jones teaching Can you flush it? lesson to students at Amelia Love Johnson in Thomaston, Alabama

# data[].attributes.body
Blackbelt Women Rising is working to make sure our community has clean drinking water. As part of our education efforts, we’re teaching kids about wastewater through the 'Wastewater for Kids' program in schools in Marengo County.

# data[].attributes.body
An old growth micro-forest with 500+ trees on the site, one block from Santa Anita Wash sending source water from Angeles National Forest in the San Gabriel Mountains to San Gabriel River, has been established with ecoservices to reduce stormwater pollution and improve water quality in the waterways.

# data[].attributes.custom_properties.q2Ife73I
Arcadia Ecohome/California Institute of Environmental Design & Management (CIEDM) 