If a public water supply relies on surface waters, which program must it adopt?

• A. Adopt a water supply watershed protection program
• B. Adopt a public information program
• C. Adopt a well head protection program
• D. None of the above

Answer: (A)

When a public water supply relies on surface waters, protecting the source by safeguarding the watershed feeding the intake is essential. Surface water is shaped by activities across the entire drainage area, so a watershed protection program focuses on land use, runoff control, and pollution prevention throughout that area. This approach directly reduces contaminants entering the water before treatment, which is exactly what surface-water supplies need.

A public information program, while important for transparency and community awareness, does not by itself prevent contamination at the source. A well head protection program targets groundwater and wells, not surface water sources, so it isn’t applicable here. Therefore, adopting a watershed protection program is the appropriate and necessary choice.