Quantifying the Performance of Source Water Protection Measures to Improve Utilities’ Decision Making

Uncertain methods for evaluating water utility investments in source water protection

Water utilities need effective tools to evaluate the return on investments made to protect drinking water sources from high-priority pollutants. Lack of a guiding framework to track performance and assess economic value, limits water suppliers’ ability to implement or scale scaling Source Water Protection (SWP) strategies. A clearer understanding of benefits can also unlock co-funding opportunities and partnerships—especially for projects on land not owned by the utility.

---

Guidelines and resources for estimating Return on Investment and tracking source water protection performance.

This project equips utilities with tools to quantify and monetize the full range of benefits and costs associated with source water protection (SWP). It includes an economic framework, a user-friendly Excel tool with templates, and case studies addressing contaminants like PFAS, nutrients, and wildfire-related risks. By incorporating economic metrics and performance measures, utilities can justify strategies, track program effectiveness, and build co-funding partnerships. This project is guided by input from 11 participating utility representatives from across the country and a WRF project advisory committee.