Reo Water, Inc. was on a mission: build a Wellhead Protection Team to form a protection plan for Reo’s water supply. After first hearing about the Wellhead Protection Plan (WHPP) at an Indiana Water and Wastewater Association (IWWA) conference, Reo Water published an article in the local newspaper explaining the purpose of Wellhead protection and soliciting help from the community. Then they went a step farther.

Perhaps unique to Reo, letters were sent to possible team members specifically asking them for their help and inviting them to an initial meeting with Sherri Winters of IWWA. A chairman and secretary were elected, and a strong active WHP team was formed.

As suggested, this team is composed of a wide variety of team members. The WHP initiative requires at least one person affected by WHP be on the team. Again, Reo went farther, with all of its twelve active members being directly affected by WHP. Among others, the team includes a fire chief, a county councilman, a county sanitarian, a storeowner, a real estate appraiser, a farmer and a property owner in the delineation area, and a county zoning committee member.

With excellent member backing, the team decided to play an active role in the development of the plan. They performed a windshield survey for possible contaminants by driving through the wellhead protection area and making observations about any potential problems that were present. They also contacted several governmental agencies to find what permits had been granted to businesses and industries for use, storage, or disposal of potentially harmful materials in the wellhead protection area. In addition, they contacted the Department of Natural Resources for well drilling records. Water corporation employees are in the area at least once a month, and mail carriers and bus drivers are being used as casual observers to continually amend and update the inventory.

They decided to hire Midwest Engineers Inc. to do the wellhead protection area delineation. Because Midwestern had worked for Reo Water for twenty years, they had most of the information required by the hydrologist, further cutting the team’s cost and time. The initial delineation report sent to IDEM was rejected because it needed some extra work. The consultant provided the needed clarification and the delineation was approved. The entire plan has now been submitted, almost two years ahead of the deadline.

The Reo WHP experience illustrates a very important point. While there are many important aspects to WHP, the single most important factor affecting a success product is a strong and active team. Thanks to the hard work and time this team put in, soon Reo will be able to say, "Mission accomplished."