Baltimore County Receives Award for Drinking Water Safety

By Anonymous

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded Maryland’s Baltimore County a source water protection award in November for its efforts to protect the county’s water supply. Citizens groups were instrumental in the protection efforts, according to an EPA press release.

Baltimore County made source water protection a priority, ERA noted, by increasing the acreage of restricted areas surrounding the Loch Raven, Liberty, and Prettyboy reservoirs, where the county gets the majority of its water. These zoning alterations ensure that the land cannot be used for developments or projects that might threaten the reservoirs.

The source water protection award covers EPA’s mid-Atlantic region, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and Maryland. The award program is open to individuals and public and private organizations. Recipients, EPA stated, have voluntarily gone beyond what the law requires to protect their communities.

“Protecting the sources of our drinking water safeguards both public health and our environment,” said Donald S. Welsh, administrator of EPA’s mid-Atlantic region.

Community groups who worked in favor of the zoning changes included the Prettyboy Watershed Preservation Society, the Greater Sparks Glencoe Community Association, and the Hampton Improvement Association.

“This award is a reflection of more than three decades of unyielding commitment to protecting our water quality through smart resource management and land preservation,” said Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith.

Copyright Water Environment Federation Mar 2006