Recorded presentation

Ritchie D. Taylor, PhD and Joey Willcox. Department of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, 1 Big Red Way, STH 410 D, Bowling Green, KY 42101, 270-745-8894, ritchie.taylor@wku.edu

Source water protection requires partnerships to be a successful tool for enhancing public health. Through case studies, we developed a utility based model for community and agricultural partnerships to support source water protection for rural water systems in Kentucky. The selected utilities had previously experienced herbicide contamination of both source and finished drinking water. Agricultural partnerships were enhanced by the formation of the Kentucky Pesticide Workgroup, monitoring of herbicide levels in source water reservoirs and finished waters, and information transfer to local farmers. Community partnerships were initiated by forming source water protection advisory councils for small rural water systems in vulnerable watersheds. By using the source water protection framework as a tool, we identified key stakeholders, created a web of security for the rural water utilities, and informed the local community of potential contamination risks. Information transfer, enhanced by the Kentucky Pesticide Workgroup, provided for the protection of water supplies through the application of best management practices, intensified monitoring, and stakeholder involvement. Finally, with development of this watershed scale approach, we are testing the model in threatened watersheds with multiple small water utilities.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Prioritize actions necessary to initiate source water protection plans in rural agricultural communities.
• Apply the source water protection framework as a tool for rural community health protection.
• Assess the need for utility based source water protection in vulnerable agricultural watersheds.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Water Quality

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation