Communities in Action: Protecting Groundwater Locally

by Susan Seacrest
President, The Groundwater Foundation

The importance of protecting groundwater locally is an undisputed fact. Groundwater is the lifeblood of many communities; supplying the drinking water for 50 percent of all Americans. Here in Nebraska this is especially true. Almost 90 percent of our population is dependent on groundwater for drinking water and other domestic uses. Groundwater is truly the environmental bottom-line because a community involved in groundwater protection also is a community that protects its surface water, soil quality and minimizes threats from toxic substances.

Groundwater contributes to the environmental and economic vitality of communities, nourishing watershed, recharging wetlands and estuaries and providing irrigation water for our food supply.

However, due to its hidden nature, groundwater is too often neglected as the tremendously valuable natural resource it is. Helping as many people as possible understand, value and protect groundwater has been the focus of Groundwater Foundation activities since its founding nearly 15 years ago. Towards this goal, the Foundation has sponsored public symposia, experiential learning events for youth, published a quarterly journal and perhaps most importantly, initiated the Groundwater Guardian program which supports, recognizes and connects broad-based community teams taking active, voluntary steps to protect local groundwater. There currently are over 200 Groundwater Guardian communities organizations and businesses. But earning Groundwater Guardian Designation doesn't mean a community has solved all of its groundwater challenges. Rather, seeing the distinctive logos on a road-side sign or painted on a water tower means this is a community with a team of dedicated citizens willing to make groundwater protection and conservation a priority.

Several key factors have emerged as important to successful Groundwater Guardian programs. Education is one of them. Education and outreach create awareness that in turn creates support for the work of the Groundwater Guardian team and for the costs involved.

Often, a strong education program can create a sense of ownership and pride in the local water supply. Partnerships and technical assistance are also cited as keys to success in this program. Local governments and state-level agencies serve as important partners, as do programs such as Farm*A*Syst and others that are willing to provide time, assistance and technical resources. This assistance enables communities to use resources effectively and help Groundwater Guardian gain credibility with local citizens.

The media is another important partner. Stories in publications like this one help build local awareness and support on a broad scale, as well as bringing public applause for local officials from implementing pollution prevention programs such as Wellhead Protection (WHP).

The new Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) is part of the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. SWAP requires each state, in partnership with citizens, to assess the vulnerability of drinking water sources and to make this assessment public.

The Groundwater Foundation strongly encourages communities to participate in Nebraska's SWAP program. Leaders at the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality have been important partners for Nebraska Groundwater Guardian communities working to implement activities that protect drinking water sources. Nebraska also is building on successful, local WHP programs for completing the assessment part of the SWAP program.

The importance of local leaders in making groundwater protection and Groundwater Guardian activities possible as a priority are also important to success. Community "sparkplugs" are mentioned again-and-again as one of the most important factors in community groundwater protection success. Community leaders take personal and community level responsibility and understand the importance of educating as many citizens as possible so the community as a whole understands the importance of groundwater to the community's well-being. A successful leader takes his or her responsibility as a leader seriously, yet takes time to develop new leadership, as well. And finally, effective leaders use local resources effectively to form partnerships with agencies and other organizations. These community leaders are people just like you.

Please take the time to learn all you can about your community's drinking water.  Chances are, here in Nebraska and through much of the midwest, it's groundwater.

If you don't become a Groundwater Guardian, who will?

(To learn more about the Groundwater Guardian program, contact the Groundwater Foundation at P.O. Box 22558, Lincoln, NE 68542, phone (402)434-2740 or e-mail info@groundwater.org).