How it can help.

Trusted Information

All the information and resources contained in this guide have been reviewed and approved by the Source Water Collaborative – a group of 23 federal, state, and local organizations that work together to protect drinking water. For more information about the SWC, visit our website at protectdrinkingwater.org.

Local Resources

You can customize this guide by adding your organization’s logo and contact information, local photographs, web links or other resources you wish to promote. See our Tips for using your guide for more ideas on how to localize your guide.

Starting a Conversation

No guide on an issue as complicated as source water protection could ever cover everything in four short pages. But here’s what the guide can do: Provide a tool for starting a conversation with local officials about what can be done in your community. See our Tips for using your guide for more ideas on how to put the guide to work to supplement your other outreach efforts.

What You Need to Get Started

Ready to build your guide? You’ll want to have handy any local resources you plan to add, such as your organization’s logo, contact information, local pictures, web links or other resources you wish to promote. Use .jpg, .gif or .png files for photos and graphics. Maximum file size is 3MB.

If you use Internet Explorer as your web browser, you will need version 7 or later to build a custom guide. Older versions of Internet Explorer will not support the online tool. If you have Internet Explorer 6 or below and do not have access to another browser, you can print our pre-designed Your Water. Your Decision guide here.

View sample guides.

Choose your subject

Select the type of guide you want to create. You can choose all three topics
or focus on one.

Development Patterns Guide

Offers local officials considerations for promoting development in already developed areas or in less environmentally sensitive areas.

Water Budget Guide

Offers local officials considerations for budgeting the costs of protecting and treating water sources.

Stewardship Guide

Offers local officials considerations for promoting responsible use locally and regionally.

Click to view a few sample guides.

Choose your location

Enter your state. This will add state resources, contacts and links to your guide.

State Community

Your Community's Groundwater Guardian is:

Some Person (Some County)
555-555-5555 or fake@email.com

Please include this information in my guide I do not want to include this information in my guide

Pick your picture

Select one of the photos below for the cover of your guide.

Or upload your own.

Use .jpg, .gif or .png files. Maximum file size is 3MB.

Use high resolution images. Low resolution photos will not look as sharp when printed.
Limit photo cropping. Cropping too close will decrease image quality.

Select recommendations and best practices

Pick the information you want to emphasize with local officials.

Development Patterns

More green space

Read Full Text...

More natural vegetation

Read Full Text...

Less pavement

Read Full Text...

Up-to-date local policies

Read Full Text...

Water Budget

Budget your water

Read Full Text...

Recover your costs

Read Full Text...

Determine lifecycle costs

Read Full Text...

Stewardship

Efficient infrastructure

Think regionally

Expand monitoring

Behavior change

Be a role model

More green space

Preserving open space helps protect drinking water sources, especially contiguous areas such as stream corridors, wetlands and recharge areas. Redevelopment and compact development can help preserve critical open space.

More natural vegetation

Preserving natural vegetation - especially within green space areas and along rivers and lakes - lowers pollution. Planting new trees and vegetation also reduces runoff.

Less pavement

Reducing impervious surfaces, such as pavement and concrete, through pervious paving materials, narrower streets, and parking decks, decreases runoff and recharges the ground water supply. Development guidelines or incentives to promote green infrastructure can help.

Up-to-date local policies

Comprehensive plans, open space plans, low-impact development requirements, building permits and zoning tools can encourage development that protects drinking water supplies.

Budget your water

Forecast the quantity and quality of drinking water you will be needing in a generation or more, and then budget the costs of protecting and treating the water sources you will be tapping and plan for how this limited resource might be protected and extended.

Recover your costs

When setting water, sewer, and septic utility rates, localities can think beyond the costs of pipes and chemical processes to include such expenses as securing and protecting future sources of tap water and system maintenance.

Determine lifecycle costs

Consider all the costs of water and wastewater treatment (including the delivery and collection systems, operation, and management), not just the initial investment. This will help you gauge the true cost of development.

Efficient infrastructure

Roads, water and sewer systems, and other public infrastructure can be designed and maintained to reduce runoff, pollution, and water loss.

Think regionally

Drinking water sources don’t stop at political boundaries. Partnering with neighboring communities can help ensure your water sources stay clean and abundant.

Expand monitoring

Checking stream and ground water quality can give communities meaningful information about the state of their drinking water supply.

Behavior change

Some communities adjust services and reach out to citizens to influence individual behaviors that collectively have an impact on water use.

Be a role model

Local governments can demonstrate commitment to source water protection through actions such as recycling vehicle wash water, using alternative road treatments that reduce pollution, and supporting community household hazardous waste collection.

Select additional resources

Based on the selections you have made so far, please select at least 3 but no more than 10 of the resources listed below you want to emphasize with local officials. These will be included in the How You Can Help section of your guide.

Planting Trees in the Urban Landscape (View Link)

Protecting Resources With Higher-Density Development (View Link)

Practical Ideas for Getting Smart Growth on the Ground (View Link)

An Overview of Smarth Growth (View Link)

Planning and Design Approaches to Impervious Surfaces (View Link)

Sprawl’s Impact on Water Quantity & Quality (View Link)

A Report on How Sprawl Aggravates Drought (View Link)

A New Approach to Stormwater Management (View Link)

Low Impact Development Guide for Municipal Officials and Home Builders (View Link)

Catalog of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection (View Link)

Technical Assistance Grants to Rural Communities (View Link)

Help Your Community Reduce its Water Use (View Link)

Utility Rate Setting for Cost Recovery and Conservation (View Link)

Self-Assessment Tool for Your Water System's Financial Health (View Link)

Online Assessment Resources (View Link)

Rural Community Financial Toolbox with Spreadsheet-Based Calculators to Assess Water System Budgets (View Link)

Web-Based Drinking Water System Budgeting and Financing Tools (View Link)

Sources of Funding for Watersheds (View Link)

Media Awareness Campaign for Public Officials and Utilities: Tap Water Delivers (View Link)

Getting in Step: Engaging and Involving Stakeholders in Your Watershed (View Link)

A New Source Water Protection Tool for Municipal Official (View Link)

Cost Effective Techniques and Practices for Maintenance and Service of Unpaved Roads (View Link)

Add your own Resource* (Optional):

Name of Link: Web Address:

This link should be for a regional or national resource. Step 7 will enable you to list various local resources of your own.

Add your branding and contact information

Your organization's logo and contact information will be included on the back cover of your guide.

Add your organization's logo (view preview).

I have a copy of my organization's logo. (File must be a JPG or GIF under 1MB. Max width of 645px and max height of 195px.) I do not have a copy of my organization's logo

Not the right file? Try again.

Add your organization's contact information (view preview).

Add version information to your guide (view preview).

Yes, please include the date on my brochure to help me keep track of the guides I've created. No, I do not need the date on my brochure.

Share your local resources

Enter links to local websites and resources you wish to share with local officials. Examples of links may include local/state data, county/state planning departments, local utilities, advocacy groups, etc. Add at least 2 but no more than 5 resources to appear on the back cover of your guide. If you don't have any local resources to add, using our original, non-customized guide may be a better option for you.

Name of Link: Web Address:

Back Cover / Front Cover:

Inside Spread:

Click to view the inside and outside of your guide.

Is there too much blank space?
Is the cover photo sharp?
Are there any spelling errors?
Is there is anything you want to add or remove?

If you want to make any changes, use the back button below to edit the guide without losing data you have previously entered.

Enter Your Information

To download the Your Water. Your Decision. guide, please submit your name and email below.

All emails will be kept confidential and used solely to update you regarding new additions to the Build Your Guide tool and the web site. You may also be asked to provide feedback about local officals' response to your guide or to evaluate this web site.

Name

Email

Please enter your name and email

Create Guide: Step 1 of 7

How it can help.

Trusted Information

Local Resources

Starting a Conversation

What You Need to Get Started

View sample guides.

Choose your subject

Select the type of guide you want to create. You can choose all three topics or focus on one.

Click to view a few sample guides.

Choose your location

Enter your state. This will add state resources, contacts and links to your guide.

Your Community's Groundwater Guardian is:

Pick your picture

Select one of the photos below for the cover of your guide.

Or upload your own.

Select recommendations and best practices

Pick the information you want to emphasize with local officials.

Development Patterns

Water Budget

Stewardship

More green space

More natural vegetation

Less pavement

Up-to-date local policies

Budget your water

Recover your costs

Determine lifecycle costs

Efficient infrastructure

Think regionally

Expand monitoring

Behavior change

Be a role model

Select additional resources

Based on the selections you have made so far, please select at least 3 but no more than 10 of the resources listed below you want to emphasize with local officials. These will be included in the How You Can Help section of your guide.

Add your branding and contact information

Your organization's logo and contact information will be included on the back cover of your guide.

Add your organization's logo (view preview).

Add your organization's contact information (view preview).

Add version information to your guide (view preview).

Share your local resources

Back Cover / Front Cover:

Inside Spread:

Click to view the inside and outside of your guide.

Enter Your Information

To download the Your Water. Your Decision. guide, please submit your name and email below.

Select the type of guide you want to create. You can choose all three topics
or focus on one.