WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
Water Systems Council, the only national, nonprofit organization
solely focused on household wells and small water well systems, has
received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to provide technical assistance, training, and educational
programs to owners of private and small community water wells.
The Water Systems Council (WSC) has received $211,794 of the $1.7
million "Improving Water Quality through Training and
Technical Assistance to Private Well Owners" grant provided to the
Rural Community Assistance Partnership by the EPA.
Other grant partners include the Illinois State Water Survey and
Illinois Water Resources Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the
National Environmental Health Association and the National Ground
Water Association (NGWA).
"Since 1932, WSC has been committed to ensuring that Americans
who depend on water wells have safe, reliable drinking water," said
Margaret Martens, WSC Executive
Director. "The EPA grant will enable us to expand our efforts
to educate well owners, consumers and policymakers about water
wells and the importance of protecting America's groundwater
resources."
WSC will use the grant monies to provide the following services
over the next 18 months:
- Expansion of wellcare® Hotline -- enables EPA and
others to refer water well owners to WSC's established toll free
hotline that provides advice on protecting, maintaining, testing,
and conserving drinking well water supplies.
- HELP System for Emergency Response - a targeted program
to inform private well owners of response measures in the event of
an emergency or natural disaster that threatens safe drinking water
supplies.
- Well Owner's Manual -- production of new Well Owner's
Manual with information on well maintenance and water quality
and
- Who Owns the Water Special Report --
updating a special regulatory report, Who Owns the Water, to
be distributed to Water Resources Departments within each state,
EPA regional offices, and other state agencies that deal with well
permitting in each state.
- Well Owner Outreach -- increasing awareness of the
wellcare® Hotline and well owner educational materials, including
information sheets on well construction, maintenance and
protection, water quality testing and contaminants, and groundwater
protection.
For more information, visit www.watersystemscouncil.org.
Contact:
Margaret Martens, Executive
Director
Water Systems Council
Email
704-658-8730
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/water-systems-council-receives-epa-grant-for-educational-assistance-to-water-well-owners-300134287.html
SOURCE Water Systems Council