Surface Water Intake | City of Grand Rapids, MI

Protect the Source!

We care about protecting our surface water—that’s why we follow federal requirements designed to safeguard both public health and the environment.

In 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a requirement under Section 1453 of the Safe Drinking Water Act for each state to develop a Source Water Assessment and Protection Program (SWAP). This program evaluates all public drinking water sources.

SWAP includes two components: assessment and protection. The assessment component requires states to provide a Source Water Assessment for each public water supply system. The protection component is voluntary and focuses on developing a Surface Water Intake Protection Program (SWIPP) to help reduce risks to drinking water sources.

About the SWIPP

In 2020, we adopted the Source Water Intake Protection Program (SWIPP) to help protect Lake Michigan, the community’s source of drinking water. The SWIPP establishes proactive measures that reduce risks to public health, build customer confidence, and help control water treatment costs. By addressing water quality concerns at the source, the program also delivers environmental and community benefits that treatment alone cannot achieve.

The Grand River and its tributaries flow directly into Lake Michigan, creating multiple points where contamination can occur. Potential sources of contamination include urban and agricultural runoff, chemical spills, leaking underground storage tanks, industrial facilities, and wastewater treatment plants.

We partner with community organizations to strengthen our commitment to providing safe drinking water. The SWIPP is a proactive program designed to identify and manage potential contaminants that could threaten our drinking water source.

Our Strategies for Implementing the SWIPP

We have identified 14 strategies to address protection zones and the options available to safeguard our source water. Additional strategies focus on building partnerships with community members and businesses, as well as raising awareness about protecting our community’s drinking water supply.

Objectives	Strategies
Alternate/Emergency Intake	Ensure the emergency risers are operational and implement a regular testing and maintenance schedule.
Source Water Sampling Monitoring Program	Analyzing source water quality data has three monitoring components: Lower Grand River Watershed, Near Shore, and Nearby Public Water Supplies.
Wastewater and Concentrated AFO Facility-Related Stream Surveys	Assemble wastewater treatment plant and agribusiness/concentrated AFO effluent chemistry.
Early Warning Monitoring (EWM) Systems	Develop an early warning monitoring system with a real-time component.
Promote Public Education in the Lakeshore area	Provide the means for community involvement and encourage free flow of information and to enhance the partnership roles.
Facilitate Community Involvement, Build Relationships, and Emphasize Education	Develop effective partnerships with academic institutions, businesses, industries, and community based environmental groups.
Install Water Supply Area – Alert Signs at key locations	Install Water Supply Area – Alert Signs at key locations to raise awareness about drinking water protection.
Collaboration with Northwest Ottawa Water Treatment Plant / City of Grand Haven	Collaborate with the City of Grand Haven to create and implement efficient management.
Collaboration with Grand Valley State University	Identify potential academic research programs related to the goals of the SWIPP.
Drinking Water Protection Resolution for SWIPP	Develop a mutually beneficial resolution to aid in implementing SWIPP activities.
Code Compliance for the investigation and enforcement of environmental violations.	Develop stakeholder BMPs outlining laws and permits that set limits on what pollutants they may emit to the water, and how they must protect the land they occupy.
Collaborate with Conservation District, Farm Service Agency, NRCS, Farm Bureau, and Michigan Extension Offices	Generate a list of farmers within the SWA and schedule educational meetings.
Petroleum Transmission Lines and Storage Tanks (ASTs/USTs).	Locate oil transmission networks that pose environmental hazards and additional sites (e.g., leaking storage tanks) in the SWA.
PFAS and Emerging Contaminants Monitoring Program	Develop a program for PFAS and other emerging contaminants that identifies sources and monitors their impact.

How You Can Help Protect Your Drinking Water

There are many ways to get involved and help protect our community’s water supply. Below are a few everyday actions you can take to make a positive impact.

1. Think Twice about Lawn and Garden Chemicals

Limit the use of pesticides or fertilizers, and always follow the label directions. Many fertilizers and pesticides contain harmful chemicals which can travel through the soil and contaminate groundwater or run off in stormwater to rivers, streams, and lakes.

2. Dispose of harmful materials properly

Don't pour hazardous waste down the sink, on the ground, or into storm sewers. This could contaminate the soil, groundwater, or nearby surface water. A number of products used at home contain hazardous or toxic substances that can contaminate ground or surface waters, such as:

Motor oil
Pesticides
Leftover paints or paint cans
Mothballs
Household cleaners
Medicines

Michigan's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program has more advice on how to safely manage and reduce the use of these materials.

3. Wash your car responsibly

Soaps used in driveway car washes eventually drain to our waterways and are harmful to aquatic life. Here are some tips for an environmentally friendly wash:

Use a commercial car wash. They are required to treat dirty water and also use water-efficient nozzles.
Wash your car on gravel or grass. These surfaces can filter dirty water before it enters the ground. It also keeps pollutants out of our rivers and streams.
Dump your wash water down the toilet. Household wastewater is treated before it re-enters our waterways.

4. Volunteer in your community

Take action by educating yourself and urging your community to get involved.

Find or start a group dedicated to source water protection, become a water steward, or join a beach, wetland, or river clean-up!