Drinking water is one of our nation’s most precious natural resources. Across the country, 44,000 communities depend on ground water as their primary source of drinking water. Another 11,000 community water systems rely on lakes, reservoirs, and rivers to supply their 160 million customers. Finally, more than half a million rural homes depend on individual wells.  

The Grass Roots Source Water Protection Program is a relatively new partnership between the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the nonprofit National Rural Water Association (NRWA). It is designed to help keep surface and groundwater water pollution from affecting drinking water, relying primarily on education and outreach to encourage farmers, ranchers, and producers to take voluntary action to prevent drinking water pollution.

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Rural Water Association (NRWA), 32 State Rural Water Associations.

The program is currently available in: Alabama , Alaska , Arizona , Colorado , Connecticut , Delaware , Florida , Georgia , Illinois , Iowa , Kansas , Louisiana , Maryland , Massachusetts , Michigan , Minnesota , Mississippi , Montana , Nevada , New Mexico , North Carolina , North Dakota , Ohio , Oklahoma , Oregon , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island , South Carolina , Texas , Utah , Vermont , Washington , and Wisconsin .

FSA has provided almost $4 million and NRWA has hired a full-time Rural Source Water technician for each of the 33 participating states. Technicians work with FSA directors and state conservation specialists to identify priority areas for local pollution prevention.  Working with State Rural Water Associations, technicians also help organize local citizen teams from diverse federal, state, local, and private interests. Teams develop Rural Source Water Protection plans outlining voluntary measures that farmers, ranchers, and other producers can install to prevent source water pollution. Measures could include more secure storage of herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals to relocating waste lagoons. Plans establish steering committees to evaluate voluntary practices implemented by local producers.  FSA will monitor the overall performance of the program. By working at the grassroots level, local team members inform and educate producers about source water protection measures that benefit their neighbors and communities.