Department of Environmental Conservation

D E C banner

Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2)

Enter email address:

Together, We Can Protect Your Drinking Water

About the Drinking Water Source Protection Program

The Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2) is a locally led, state-supported program that empowers municipalities to take action to improve and protect their public water sources and surrounding environment. Communities accepted into the program are provided free technical assistance to develop their own unique DWSP2 plan, leading to actionable steps the municipality can take to protect their drinking water sources now and into the future.

If your municipality is interested in the program, fill out our Interest Form today.

infographic shows role of technical assistance providers

Technical assistance (TA) providers work with the community to tailor the DWSP2 process your needs. TA providers support:

  • Stakeholder coordinator
  • Plan development
  • Data interpretation
  • Source water map development
  • Identifying source water protection methods
  • Guidance and resources in funding
  • Initiate plan implementation

As a result of working with a TA provider, municipalities will be equipped with a complete source water protection plan, centered on implementation actions to protect their community's drinking water sources. This plan will act as a roadmap that includes:

  • Methods to address targeted potential contaminant sources
  • Cost analysis for all identified implementation projects
  • Potential funding sources that can aid with project costs
  • Project partners that can support implementation
  • Project timing and schedule

If you would like to work with a TA provider, please fill out our Interest Form. If you have any questions, reach out to the DWSP2 Team at source.water@dec.ny.gov.

To learn more about why your municipality should participate in DWSP2, read our DWSP2 Guide for Municipalities.

Community Benefits Provided by DWSP2

DWSP2 is designed to build off previous work, help align priorities, and fill any gaps within a municipality's current and future source water protection efforts. Municipalities participating in the Drinking Water - along with their neighboring communities - are:

  • Promoting public health and safety
  • Supporting economic viability
  • Enhancing environmental protection and recreational opportunities
  • Strengthening community partnerships and collaboration

Public Water Supplies Eligible for DWSP2

DWSP2 is open to all community public drinking water supplies (leaves DEC's website) in New York. This program is designed for:

  • Small, medium, and large public water supplies
  • Rural and urban communities
  • Public drinking water supplies that do not have updated source water maps
  • Municipalities that have:
    • Groundwater, surface water or both
    • Limited staff capacity
    • A source within or outside their administrative boundary

DWSP2 Participating Communities

Join the growing list of volunteer communities who are working with a TA provider on the Drinking Water Source Protection Program. Fill out our Interest Form if your municipality wants to learn more.

DWSP2 Participant County
Afton (v) Chenango
Allegany (v) Cattaraugus
Arcade (v) Wyoming
Argyle (v) Washington
Athens (v) Greene
Auburn (c) Cayuga
Beacon (c) Dutchess
Bethlehem (t) - Water District #1 Albany
Bridgewater (t) Oneida
Brookhaven (t) Suffolk
Chautauqua Utility District Chautauqua
Chautauqua Water District #2 Chautauqua
Cherry Creek (t) Chautauqua
Clayville (v) Oneida
Cornell University Tompkins
Ellicottville (v&t) (PDF) (leaves DEC website) Cattaraugus
Fishkill (t) (PDF) (leaves DEC website) Dutchess
Glens Falls (c) Warren
Hector (t) Schuyler
Holland Water District Erie
Hudson 7* Dutchess/Ulster
Ithaca (c) (PDF) (leaves DEC website) Tompkins
Lake Champlain* Essex
Lake George (v)* Warren
Machias (t) Cattaraugus
Manlius (t) - OCWA Skyridge Community WD Onondaga
Mayville (v) Chautauqua
Monroe (v) Orange
New Paltz (v) Ulster
Onondaga County Water Authority Onondaga
Ossining (v) Westchester
Otisville (v) Orange
Owasco Cayuga
Peekskill (c) Westchester
Portville (v) Cattaraugus
Ravena (v) Albany
Red Hook (t) Dutchess
Silver Springs (v) Wyoming
SCLIWC* Tompkins
St. Armand (t) Essex
Troy (c) Rensselaer
United Wappinger Water District Dutchess
Warsaw (v) Wyoming
Watervliet (c) Albany
Wawarsing (t) - Kerhonkson Ulster
Wawarsing (t) - Napanoch Ulster

v=Village
t=Town
c=City
Bold text = State Accepted Plan

* Hudson 7 application submitted by multiple municipalities: Poughkeepsie (c&t), Rhinebeck (v&t), Hyde Park (t), Esopus (t), Lloyd (t)

*Lake Champlain is a joint effort between Essex Water District, Port Kent Water District, and Willsboro Water District

*Lake George Village is the primary participant

*Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission (SCLIWC) is a joint entity consisting of Dryden (t), Ithaca (t), Lansing (v&t), and Cayuga Heights (v)

DWSP2 Resources

Municipalities and their technical assistance providers will use the State-developed guidance document, "A Framework for Creating a Drinking Water Source Protection Program Plan" to develop their DWSP2 plans. It provides an easy-to-follow summary of the key components of a protection plan, and a resource kit with more detailed information to help communities accomplish each component.

Download the documents for all features to function properly:

DWSP2 Fact Sheets

Stay up to date with DWSP2

Subscribe to the DWSP2 newsletter to stay up to date on a variety of drinking water source protection topics and program updates.


More about Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2):