Free watershed webcast

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Watershed Academy is sponsoring its 16th free webcast seminar on Nov. 29, 2006, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EST). &quotIntegrating Drinking Water into Watershed Protection&quot features Beth Hall, environmental protection specialist in EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water; Sheree Stewart, drinking water protection coordinator in the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; and Christopher Crockett, manager of Watershed Protection for the Philadelphia Water Department.

The webcast provides a primer on public water supplies and the recently completed source water assessments mandated by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act. Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes, or underground aquifers that is used to provide public drinking water and to supply private wells. While the source water assessments were required and funded, responsibility for implementing protection measures resides at the state, local, and utility level. Instructors will discuss how they have integrated source water protection into their programs by using technical assistance, partnerships, tools available through the Clean Water Act, and other programs, and by collaborating with watershed and smart growth efforts.

Registration opens Nov. 15. Visit www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts  for details.