Source Water Protection

Source Water Protection Plan

Producing safe, clean, and affordable drinking water involves a multi-step process. Firstly, we must protect the areas where we get our water from. Then, we treat the water to meet certain standards. Lastly, we carefully monitor and maintain the system that delivers the water to our homes.

Source water protection can be challenging due to (Trust for Public Lands, 2004):

• The emergence of new contaminants poses challenges for suppliers who may be unprepared to test or treat them.
• More frequent spikes in contaminant loads during storms and flooding make treatment more complex.
• Constantly evolving standards and regulations concerning new contaminants
• Rising treatment and capital costs due to higher pollutant loads and changing water quality standards.
• The loss of natural lands to development affects both the quality and quantity of drinking water, as well as the cost of treatment.
• With the decline of natural barriers safeguarding the source water supply, man-made or engineered barriers must be introduced in treatment processes.

To tackle these challenges, the City of Wilmington developed the Source Water Protection Plan (SWPP) in 2010. This plan aims to reduce operational expenses and minimize our carbon footprint, while preparing for future treatment demands. The SWPP also prepares for future water needs, helps handle spills and water problems better, and uses investments upstream to protect the water supply.

The City recognizes the contributions of dedicated stakeholders in the Brandywine Creek Watershed who were involved in developing the SWPP. The plan combines valuable information from prior studies and plans. Without the engagement of these stakeholders and the insights gained from their previous efforts, the development of this plan would not have been possible.

Read the Plan

• Wilmington SWPP - Part 1 (PDF)
• Wilmington SWPP - Part 2 (PDF)
• Wilmington SWPP - Part 3 (PDF)

Amended Agricultural Priority Areas

November 19, 2014

• Figure 7-2 (as amended 10/29/14): Priority Agricultural Preservation Area in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania (PDF)

Since 2010, the City's SWPP has led to the conservation of over 1,000 acres across 15 farms in the agricultural priority zones along the Brandywine Creek. Initially, the focus was on Honey Brook Township, but many dairy farms lie beyond these areas, situated along smaller tributaries of the West and East Branches of the Brandywine Creek. The SWPP identified the Upper West and East Branches as crucial for agricultural safeguarding and improvement (refer to Table 3-9 in SWPP). Consequently, the City has updated Fig 7-2 to broaden priority zones, now encompassing properties directly bordering the East and West Branches of the Brandywine Creek. Agricultural conservation often involves restoring riparian buffers and reforesting areas. The SWPP prioritized first-order riparian lands and headwater regions for these efforts. Thus, the City has expanded the focus to include parcels directly adjacent to first and second-order streams flowing into the West and East Branches.