Wellhead Protection Program

The Hillsdale area relies exclusively on groundwater resources for its drinking water. In order to ensure the stability and purity of groundwater, the City has instituted a Wellhead Protection Program (WHPP). This program aims to protect community drinking water supplies and to develop long-term stategies to safeguard water source areas from contamination. Wellhead Protection Areas, defined as surface and subsurface areas surrounding a water well or well field which contaminants are likely to move through, are the primary interest of the WHPP.

To minimize the risk of contamination in Wellhead Protection Areas, the City of Hillsdale developed seven key issues central to WHPA protection:

• Roles and Responsibilities - Identified individuals responsible for the development, implementation, and long- term maintenance of the local WHPP.
• WHPA Delineation - The areas which contribute groundwater to the public water supply wells.
• Contaminant Source Inventory - Known and potential sites of contamination within the WHPA, detailed in a contaminant source inventory list and map.
• Management Strategies - Mechanisms which reduce the risk of existing and potential sources of contamination  from reaching the public water supply wells.
• Contingency Planning - A City contingency plan in case of a water supply emergency
• Siting of New Wells - Information on existing groundwater availability, the ability of the PWSS to meet present and future demands and the vulnerability of the existing wells to contamination.
• Public Education and Outreach - Generating community awareness in the WHPP by focusing on dissemination of WHPP information through public education. Find out more here.

For more information about the Wellhead Protection program around Michigan, please click here.