Eastern Lancaster County Source Water Protection (ELANCO SWP) Collaborative: Workgroup Successes The Collaborative: The ELANCO SWP Collaborative, located in Lancaster County, PA, was founded in 2012 with the initial support of a Water Resource Education Network (WREN) source water protection grant. The following year the ELANCO SWP Collaborative was selected to participate in the National Source Water Collaborative’s Pilot Program. The ELANCO SWP Collaborative is a diverse coalition of water suppliers, local government, state and federal agencies, and private and non-­‐profit organizations. The collaborative and its partners are working to engage the ELANCO region in source water protection through targeted education and outreach. With the support of EPA-­‐funded technical assistance and dedicated local champions, the Collaborative has been able to establish and maintain Agricultural and Residential Subcommittees that have been vital to the success of these efforts. THE PARTNERS: Blue Ball Water Authority* ! Mennonite Community Leaders Chesapeake Bay Foundation ! PA DEP Earl Township* ! PA Rural Water Association East Earl Township* ! Penn State Cooperative Extension Eastern Lancaster County School District ! SSM Group Future Farmers of America ! Susquehanna River Basin Commission Lancaster County Agricultural Council ! Terre Hill and New Holland Boroughs* Lancaster County Conservancy ! USDA – NRCS Lancaster County Conservation District ! USEPA Lancaster County Farmland Trust ! Water Resources Education Network Lancaster County Planning Commission (League of Women Voters) Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority ! Western Heights Water Authority* Lancaster County Zoning & Building Permit Officials *founding partners Association Agricultural Subcommittee: The Agricultural Subcommittee was created in 2013 following the ELANCO SWP Collaborative’s inaugural workshop that focused on agricultural best management practices (BMPs) for the protection of drinking water sources. With over 400 participants, mostly Plain Sect farmers, in attendance, the event garnered the attention and momentum needed to further propel the ELANCO SWP Collaborative forward. Since then the Agricultural !
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Subcommittee has continued to engage the farming community through farmer-­‐to-­‐farmer outreach and education. Their efforts have focused on supporting the implementation of agricultural BMPs to reduce nutrient and sediment loading to the Chesapeake Bay and to protect local drinking water sources. Collaborative partners help leverage resources to maximize impacts. For example, prior Chesapeake Bay Program funds enabled small-­‐group farmer mentoring sessions, which were facilitated by Lancaster Farmland Trust and the Lancaster County Conservation District, and marketed by Mennonite community leaders. Currently, the Agricultural Subcommittee is in the planning phase for the next year, with focus on a BMP implementation project targeted towards source water protection areas. Residential Subcommittee: The Residential Subcommittee was launched in the fall of 2015 following the success of the Agricultural Subcommittee. The focus of the Residential Subcommittee is to engage ELANCO residents living in areas found to have high nitrates in groundwater. The inaugural education and outreach efforts took place in March of 2016 with a family friendly workshop that focused on best management practices to reduce residential stormwater runoff and promote drinking water protection. Following a successful kick-­‐off workshop, the Residential Subcommittee has spent the summer attending outdoor activities and festivals to reach out and educate communities about source water protection. Currently, the Residential Subcommittee is in the planning process for next year, with the goal of recruiting more members and exploring partnerships with local businesses and organizations. The Residential Subcommittee is also planning on expanding its outreach efforts by exploring new outreach methods, such as Safe Drinking Water Clinics, private well testing, and public Q&A sessions. Next Steps: In addition to workgroup activities, the ELANCO SWP Collaborative is currently developing efforts to engage the six ELANCO municipalities in collaborative stormwater management, under the ‘One Water’ approach of total water management for both Chesapeake Bay and local drinking water quality goals. This past June, they hosted and facilitated a stormwater management meeting, in attendance were representatives from three municipalities, EPA Region 3 Source Water Protection, and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. While the attendees focused on a collaborative approach to storm water management and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) requirements, minimum control measures and leveraging the ELANCO SWP Collaborative’s outreach and education efforts with the Plain Sect community were also part of the discussion. For More Information Contact: Randy Heilman Senior Community Planner Lancaster County Planning Commission 717-­‐299-­‐8333 [email protected] Megan Keegan Water Protection Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III 212-­‐814-­‐5494 [email protected] Stephanie Smith Armpriester Municipal Outreach Coordinator Lancaster Farmland Trust 717-­‐687-­‐8484 [email protected]