The Lancaster County Clean Water Consortium will hold the first seminar in a three-part series called “What’s Clean Water and How Do We Get It Back?” on September 13 from 9 a.m. to noon.

This seminar, called “Clean Water 101,” will provide pertinent information to local officials and interested citizens on how to achieve and maintain clean waterways in Lancaster County.

The seminar — and subsequent seminars on Oct. 13 and Nov. 8 — will be held at Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster.

“Clean Water 101” will include:

-- An overview of the importance of clean water, presented by Andrew Gavin, manager of the Monitoring and Protection Program at the Susquehanna River Basin Commission;

-- Information on the basics of clean water, how streams are assessed and pollution levels of concern, presented by Gary Walters, chief of the Assessment Section with the Department of Environmental Protection;

-- Details on defining pollution challenges, determining priorities and defining goals, presented by Bill Brown, chief of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Development Section with the Department of Environmental Protection;

-- A focused case study, presented by John Van Zant, a water program specialist with the Department of Environmental Protection; and

-- Group discussion with tangible solutions for implementing solutions.

The Lancaster County Clean Water Consortium is a resource organization that supports local stakeholders responsible for meeting stringent state and federal pollution-reduction standards. Its mission is to develop a proactive, efficient and cohesive countywide strategy to restore the waterways of Lancaster County, which will, in turn, enhance compliance with federal and state regulations related to the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay.

For more information and to register for the seminar, visit the Consortium website or contact Marylou Barton at 717- 299-7254.

9/10/2012