The safe drinking water amendments of 1996 placed a strong emphasis on the goal to establish a nationwide effort to protect drinking water sources. As part of that goal, the legislation provided for a preliminary assessment of drinking water sources and an inventory of surrounding adjacent land use (ALUs). This nationwide effort will result in the first comprehensive look at the nation's drinking water sources from an assessment perspective. One of the outcomes of this nationwide assessment will be information that public water systems (PWSs) can use to help determine appropriate monitoring frequencies and to protect their sources of drinking water. In conjunction with this nationwide effort, the primary goal of Arizona's Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) is to benefit PWSs. SWAP results will be used to provide the basis to individually tailor monitoring requirements for PWSs and an encouragement to implement local source water protection programs. To develop an appropriate preliminary assessment program which will benefit local communities in developing source water protection programs. Arizona has involved, and will continue to involve, the public during the development and implementation phases of the SWAP. Arizona has formed technical and citizen advisory committees, as well as conducted statewide public meetings and hearings. -- Introduction-p. 4

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has completed a source water assessment for Kit Carson County as required by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments and in accordance with Colorado's Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) program. The purpose of this assessment is to analyze the potential susceptibility of each public drinking water source to contamination, and to supply pertinent information so that decision-makers voluntarily can develop and implement appropriate preventive measures to protect these water sources. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires that the public water system and its consumers be informed of the assessment results.