Certification of Source Water Protection Plans

PWS are required to submit their source water protection plans to DEQ for review and certification. The purpose of review and certification is to verify that source water protection plans meet requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and SWPP.

In order to be certified, a source water protection plan must include all information required by the safe drinking water Act and the SWPP including susceptibility assessments. If a report is certified, the PWS will receive a certificate signed by the supervisor of the Source Water Protection Section within 60 days after DEQ receives the plan. If a report is incomplete or does not meet minimum requirements, Montana Source water Protection Section staff will notify the PWS of the deficiencies within 60 days of receiving the plan and will work with them to correct deficiencies. DEQ will review certified source water protection plans at 5-year intervals when updated contaminant source inventories are due. Certification will be suspended if a PWS fails to update its inventory. Five-year updates of previously certified plans will include susceptibility assessments for each new identified potential contaminant source and each active water source. Susceptibility to all potential contaminant sources must be assessed for sources of water that were put in use within the previous five years.

Required Information for Source Water Protection Plans

  • Description of the characteristics of the community, public water supply, and water source.
  • List of the key individuals and groups that participated in decision-making and those who will implement the source water protection plan.
  • Current information on construction of wells or surface water intakes including recent sanitary survey information and maintenance records.
  • Well yield and a well log for groundwater sources.
  • Engineering drawing of the water intake for surface water sources.
  • Methods, criteria, and sources of information used to delineate source water protection areas.
  • Map showing locations of water intakes and boundaries of source water protection areas.
  • Contaminant source inventory of the source water protection areas in proper format for inclusion in a statewide database.
  • Susceptibility assessment for each combination of significant contaminant source and water intake.
  • Management options chosen including a copy of any ordinances adodpted.
  • Statement of the goals of management actions and a time frame for implementation and evaluation.
  • Emergency response plan.
  • Information necessary to evaluate applications for waivers of monitoring or filtration requirements.

Certification is provided by letter following review to ensure the source water protection plan meets the requirements of the Montana Source Water Protection Program and the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.