WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released DWMAPS – the Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters. This robust, online mapping tool provides the public, water system operators, state programs, and federal agencies with critical information to help them safeguard the sources of America’s drinking water.

DWMAPS allows users to learn about their watershed and understand more about their water supplier. DWMAPS also lets users see if sources of their drinking water are polluted and if there are possible sources of pollution that could affect their communities’ water supply. DWMAPS can even guide users to ways they can get involved in protecting drinking water sources in their community.

“A key part of having safe drinking water is protecting the sources – the streams, rivers, and lakes where utilities withdraw water,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “DWMAPS is the latest example of how EPA is using technology and digital tools to better protect public health and the environment.

Utilities and state drinking water program managers can also use DWMAPS with their own state and local data. It allows them to identify potential sources of contamination in their locations, find data to support source water assessments and plans to manage potential sources of contamination and evaluate accidental spills and releases. DWMAPS also integrates drinking water protection activities with other environmental programs at the federal, state, and local levels.

DWMAPS can provide users with information to update source water assessments and prioritize source water protection in any location or watershed in the country. Specifically, DWMAPS helps users to:

• Identify potential sources of contamination in locations defined by users;
• Find data to support source water assessments and plans to manage potential sources of contamination;
• Evaluate accidental spills and releases, identifying where emergency response resources for accidental releases must be readily available; and
• Promote integration of drinking water protection activities with other environmental programs at the EPA, state, and local levels.

The Watershed Congress Along the Schuylkill River will be held at the Montgomery County Community College Pottstown campus on Saturday, March 12.

Register by February 14th for the $50 individual rate.   A student rate is also available.

Register Online or download the Registration Form to mail in.

Five Reasons To Attend The 2016 Watershed Congress:

5.  Convenience:  The Watershed Congress has been described by past participants as “one of the best conferences in our field,” and it’s held right here in Pottstown.

4.  Door Prizes:  The annual door prize drawing, with goodies donated by Watershed Congress organizers and participants, is always a highlight.

3.  Continuing Education:  The Watershed Congress has been approved for continuing education for landscape architects, recreation and park professionals, and floodplain managers.  An application for CLEs for attorneys is pending.  Engineers, surveyors, wetland scientists, geologists, and those seeking credit for Uniform Construction Code Re-certification have used the Watershed Congress for continuing education credit (additional fees may be charged).

2.  Networking:  Participants and presenters hail from throughout PA, NJ, MD and DE, and include a range of people from volunteers dedicated to improving their watersheds to municipal officials who care about water resources, to conservation professionals charged with protecting our waterways.

1.  A Great Program:  This year’s program offers a keynote with historical perspective, information-packed breakout sessions (including one led by Montgomery County Conservation District), and much more.  Learn more about the 2016 program.

Download the Program Detail.

On Monday February 8, 2016, from 6:30-8:30 PM, Montgomery County Conservation District, in conjunction with Penn State Cooperative Extension Service, will present a manure management plan writing workshop at the 4-H Center in Creamery, PA.  For more information and to sign up, please download the registration form.

Montgomery County Conservation District and Penn State Extension are pleased to announce the second class of Master Watershed Stewards will be offered this spring for Montgomery County residents.

Master Watershed Stewards is a volunteer program led by Penn State Extension with the goal of building capacity for watershed protection and restoration by training volunteers who can make an impact.  Master Watershed Stewards receive 40 hours of training on water resource stewardship and then put their expertise to use helping and leading projects to protect and enhance water quality.

Click here to learn more about this program and to apply!

Montgomery County Conservation District installed two educational displays last month at the Norristown Farm Park headquarters, with funding from PA American Water’s Environmental Grant Program.

The displays are titled “Protecting the Stony Creek Watershed” and “Agricultural Conservation at the Farm Park.”  The watershed education display features a hand-drawn mural backdrop of the Stony Creek watershed and landscape surrounding the Farm Park, with four educational posters highlighting streamside forests, stormwater pollution, drinking water treatment and waste water treatment.

The agricultural conservation display features an aerial map backdrop with conservation best management practices illustrated on the farm fields.  Four educational posters discuss soil health, diversions and terraces, no-till farming and grassed waterways.

As visitors to the displays will learn, we are all connected by the streams and rivers that run through our towns.  Simply by planting a garden, picking up after  pets and keeping storm drains clean, we can all make a difference in the health of Stony Creek, which is a source of drinking water for local communities.

The display cases are available for viewing seven days a week for visitors to the park, in the school groups, classes, special presentations and community events hosted by the Farm Park.  The display cases will teach thousands of visitors each year about the importance of protecting our soil and water resources in order to better the health of our environment and community.

Click here to see the artwork!