Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, states must complete assessments of the sources of water for all public drinking water systems. The plans for completing the assessments must be reviewed and approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Assessments will generally take several years to complete. Once completed states must make the results available to the public. Most will do so through the Internet and hard copy.

Most states have had significant opportunities for public input in the development of their plans and have available detailed information about their plans for assessment on the Internet. Specific format and details in the reports will vary from state to state, but all will have the same basic types of information:

• description of the source of public drinking water and how much water is pumped each day (e.g., a well, a spring, a river, or a reservoir);
• identification of the population served and a description and map of the area from which the water is drawn e.g., the watershed or aquifer and the land area that contributes water);
• overview of the drinking water test results and the current process for treating the water (more detailed information on drinking water quality is available in annual water supply statements.);
• description of each significant potential sources of contamination (e.g., farm, gas station, septic system etc.), contaminants of concern (e.g., solvents, nitrates, pesticides, etc.), and a ranking of potential threat to the water supply;
• description of programs underway to protect sources of drinking water (e.g., state and federal regulations regarding various discharges and voluntary efforts on farms);
• recommendations for additional source water protection efforts (e.g., education efforts on the use of fertilizers and pesticides, further evaluation of septic systems, and cleanup of abandoned sites); and
• sources of additional information (e.g., state office or hotline and local agencies).

For information about the regulations and links to many of the state's Web sites, call EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791), or contact your state's water office (many have information available on the Internet), or visit EPA's Web site (http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/protect.html).