AWWA SYM53632

The quality and quantity of America's drinking water are seriously at risk.Uncontrolled development on critical watershed lands is threatening our watersupplies in many ways. With the construction of roads, roofs, and parking lots,rainwater that once would recharge aquifers instead becomes runoff, pollutingsurface and groundwaters. At the same time, population growth is putting greaterdemands on existing water supplies. Water supply managers are increasingly comingto realize that watershed protection may be the best and cheapest way toguarantee both the quality and quantity of drinking water. This paper brieflydiscusses the increasing importance of watershed protection and its manybenefits.