Education / Outreach
Partnerships
Your message will go a lot further if you have partners who are also spreading it. Water systems can benefit from a variety of partnerships and the work involved in creating them is less than you might expect and well worth it in the long run. The Alliance’s Source Water Specialist can assist you with contacting the following possible partners, along with others you may be interested in.
Watershed Groups generally focus on protecting surface waters from runoff pollution, although many do have concerns about groundwater quality. Education and outreach is important to watershed groups, as are installing land use practices that protect water quality; both efforts can benefit drinking water systems. To find out if your area has a watershed group, contact IDEM’s Watershed Specialists or the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Emergency Responders and Local Government can prioritize drive-by monitoring of your wells, spill response readiness, and documentation of required Phase II training.
USDA Offices cover every county and generally house the Soil and Water Conservation District, Farm Service Agency, and Natural Resource Conservation Service. These three agencies participate in watershed planning, public education, and the installation of land use practices. Water systems should particularly take advantage of FSA’s CRP/Wellhead program.
Find your USDA Office here.
Local Land Use Planners create recommendations for local land use protection and use. Sharing your Wellhead Plan helps ensure that proper long term protection is given to your wellfield. Partnering with planners also informs you about upcoming landuse changes that may impact your potential sources of contamination and areas to prioritize spill response and education and outreach.
Kids Activity Books from Project Wet
The Alliance has the following activity books available. Contact us for copies. If you need more than 25 you can purchase them through Project Wet.
Downloadable Resources
Earth Day Information / Resources
Even more outreach resources available to you, our members, to help promote water conservation, septic info, wastewater info, etc.!
Websites
Groundwater Foundation has classroom activities, games and puzzles, coloring sheets, kits and models, at home activities, and basic groundwater information for kids. They also have information on Water Festivals and the Groundwater Guardian and Groundwater Green Site programs.
U.S. EPA's Source Water Website has information on planning and local partnerships, potential contaminant inventory tools, example ordinances, and basic source water information.
The Source Water Collaborative
Water Cycle Glossary of Terms
Brochures and Fact Sheets
2021 USDA Source Water Protection Conservation Programs Brochure
Conservation Reserve Program
Purdue Brochure on Wellhead Protection
Plugging Abandoned Wells
Auto Waste Brochure
Indiana Farmstead Assessment for Drinking Water Protection Fact Sheets
Educational Videos
Leaping Media's Groundwater Video
AWWA: Farm Bill key in protecting drinking water - YouTube
U.S. EPA—Water You Waiting For Video: 12-minute video showcasing the water profession for high school and/or vocational technical school students.
Materials for Presentation
Cloudburst: A Cooperative Tabletop Board Game
Water Conservation Info