North Carolina's emerging Source Water Protection (SWP) Program is a voluntary program supporting local efforts to protect drinking water sources. The NC SWP program offers Public Water Supply systems an opportunity to learn about a broad range of approaches to protecting their local water supply. The program points water suppliers to funding and other resources available to support such local efforts. The NC SWP program expands the current Wellhead Protection (WHP) Program to encompass surface water and ground water sources of drinking water. The NC Source Water Protection (SWP) Program is based on the federal programs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), resulting from the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act.