Our vision is simple – all drinking water sources are adequately protected. The National Source Water Collaborative (SWC) started in 2006 with fourteen national organizations, concerned about the implications of shifting landscapes and quickly expanding developments on the safety and sustainability of drinking water supplies. Those 14 members knew that they were faced with a challenge and an opportunity, and by acting together now, they could protect sources of drinking water for generations to come. Over the past ten years, the SWC has experienced tremendous growth and progress—the original 14 members has nearly doubled and is now 27 strong, after welcoming our newest member, American Rivers, in January 2017. Our one-stop-shop website boasts a compendium of valuable resources and targeted toolkits, products of member collaborations, while our Twitter feed (@sourcewatercol) has quickly become the place for source water protection news, updates, and member accomplishments. In 2016 the SWC launched the popular Learning Exchange webinars and resources, and participation at high-profile national conferences have greatly expanded our reach and impact.
While the last ten years have been marked by change, the core principle that we were founded on remains— that by working together and combining our strengths, resources, and will to action, this diverse set of member organizations would be able to realize far greater successes than by working alone. This principle still provides the foundation of the Collaborative’s approach and success today.
We are proud of our accomplishments and invite you to explore a sampling of the Collaborative’s 2016 efforts from the past year celebrating 10 years of achievement in source water collaboration. The SWC’s work and its member organizations far exceed the capacity of this report. Our 2016 Accomplishments Report presents a sampling of our various individual and collaborative efforts. As you read these pages, we hope that you recognize our accomplishments.
We also challenge you to give pause and think creatively about what your organization and community can do to advance source water protection. We invite you to help us expand our reach by encouraging members of your networks to sign up for our email distribution list or follow us on twitter for the latest in source water protection news & events.