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As a result of the federal government shutdown, as of midnight on October 31, 2025, all work performed by the federally funded USDA Circuit Riders has been halted until additional federal funding is made available.

The Maryland Rural Water Association has decided to continue to provide services during this lapse of federal funding. The services provided by our Circuit Riders will be temporarily funded with non-federal internal revenue and cannot be considered services that represent or are provided by the federal government.

We will notify you when additional federal funding is made available. In the interim, please do not hesitate to contact MRWA and our Circuit Riders should you need assistance. MRWA continues to stand by our Members and the small and rural water systems of Maryland during this time. Thank you for your understanding.

Our Source Water Protection Specialist travels throughout the state to assist rural water systems to reduce or eliminate the potential risks to drinking water supplies through the development of Source Water Protection Plans. He also assists in the implementation of contamination prevention measures.

Specifically, this staff member provides professional one-on-one on site assistance and training to rural and small communities in implementing Source Water Protection Plans for both groundwater and surface water supplies. He coordinates with state, county and local agencies in identifying and prioritizing areas for source water protection programs. He collaborates between multi-jurisdictional entities and local, county, state and federal agencies to establish Source Water Protection Plans.

Our Source Water Protection Specialist is:

Jonathan Lacher
410-800-7473
Email: jonathan.lacher@md-rwa.org

On-site Technical Assistance Services

  • Compliance w/ Regulations
  • 1 on 1 Training / Teaching
  • Source Water Delineation of Watershed
  • Source Water Assessment Study & Report
  • Existing and Potential Contaminant Sources
  • Threat Assessment
  • Watershed Protection Committees
  • Public Awareness Programs, Signage
  • Contaminant Monitoring
  • Emergency Response & Contingency Plans
  • Source Water Protection Plans
  • GIS Wellhead/Watershed Mapping