Source Water Protection
Source water protection refers to the strategies and actions taken to prevent water quality impairment within the drinking water source area.
Protecting our water supply helps ensure safe, clean drinking water for communities, reduces the need for costly water treatment, and protects the local ecosystem.
Grants
The JWC offers a Source Water Protection (SWP) Grant Program to support the work of local organizations, whose efforts maintain and safeguard the quality of water entering the JWC Water Treatment Plant. Successful projects will utilize proactive watershed activities to research, prevent, minimize, or mitigate potential water quality contamination.
10 Tips for Source Water Protection
Everyday activities we do at home, from cleaning the kitchen to washing the car, can pollute local waterways. Not only does this harm the environment, but it affects our drinking water supply and can make us, our children, and our pets sick. Fortunately, there are easy ways to help protect our region’s water at the source.
Projects
In 2023, the JWC was awarded Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District's Tualatin River Environmental Enhancement (TREE) Grant funding from to fund the project "Reducing Threats to Drinking Water from Surface Water Impoundments". Funding was utilized by the JWC – in collaboration with the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District (TSWCD) and Tualatin River Watershed Council (TRWC) – to create a guidebook with information on how to control harmful algal blooms in the Tualatin River Watershed.
Additional Resources
Learn how the Joint Water Commission works to protect the rivers, forests, and lands that supply our drinking water. From wildfire prevention to septic system assistance and source water education, these programs help keep our watershed—and our community—healthy and resilient.