A Workshop titled "Protecting Public Drinking Water: Source Water Protection Solutions" will be held November 16 at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Ave., Murrysville, Westmoreland County.

Registration is at 1 p.m. and the workshop will run from 1:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

While the majority of Pennsylvanians depend upon public water, fewer than 20 percent of the public water systems have a drinking water protection program in place that addresses water quality for sources of raw water before it reaches the treatment plant. The workshop will address drinking water sources including groundwater, lakes, rivers, streams and springs, and the impacts of land use.

Learn the five-step process to protecting your community’s drinking water, along with information from the recently completely source water assessments.

Speakers include Julie Kollar from the Water Resources Education Network and Joel Jordan of the Pennsylvania Rural Water Association. Topics include: basics of source water protection and public health implications; roles and responsibilities in source water protection; tools and technical and financial resources; examples across Pennsylvania; and five step model for source water protection.

The workshop will also provide much needed integration between public drinking water issues and other water quality initiatives, such as stormwater management, best management practices, open space programs, land use, stream corridors and public education and outreach efforts.

The workshop is free and open to the public. Water operators are eligible to receive 3.5 Contact hours credit through PRWA.

For more information or to register, visit Drinking Water Wise webpage.

11/3/2006