| A computerized source water assessment tool has been developed that uses digital elevation model (DEM) information and other geographical information system (GIS) databases to assist drinking water watershed managers in assessing the susceptibility of surface water supplies to pollution from current and future activities in the watershed. The tool is designed to use scientific information and professional experience in the pollution susceptibility assessment process while minimizing the need for new data collection by the user. Results show the Source water protection tool can predict the overland flow and in-stream transport of surface contamination during a storm event. The model outputs GIS coverages of contaminant concentration that shows the pollutant flow path and concentration along the path. First order chemical volatilization or coliform decay can also be taken into account during the transport process. Estimates of flow velocity, travel time, and flow per unit grid width are output in a 30-meter grid format. |
