The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) Source Water Assessment and Protection Program has invested millions of dollars to help create and implement protection plans for sources of drinking water that serve over 5.1 million people across the state. Source water protection is also a key component of the state’s harmful algal bloom and surface water treatment rules.
- Ohio's Source Water Protection program covers both groundwater and surface water, which are traditionally separate planning efforts in other Great Lakes Basin states.
- Drinking Water Source Protection Plans are locally designed and implemented, and the approved by the Ohio EPA.
- As of January 2020, 244 Community Water Systems serving 5 million Ohio residents have approved source water protection plans. 1700 non-municipal public water systems serving 1.7 million residents also have approved plans.