The EPA's Office of Water is responsible for the Agency's water quality activities including development of national programs, technical policies, and regulations relating to drinking water, water quality, ground water, pollution source standards, and the protection of wetlands, marine, and estuarine areas. http://www.epa.gov/OW/

The Maryland Department of the Environment’s primary mission is to protect and restore the quality of Maryland's air, water, and land resources. http://www.mde.state.md.us/

The Maryland Department of the Environment’s Public Drinking Water Program sets and enforces drinking water standards by inspecting water treatment plants and distribution systems. It surveys drinking water systems to determine levels of nitrates, lead, volatile synthetic or organic chemicals, and other contaminants. 

(http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/mdmanual/14doe/html/14agen.html#drink )

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is an international nonprofit scientific and educational society dedicated to the improvement of drinking water quality and supply (http://www.awwa.org/asp/default.asp). Founded in 1881, AWWA is the largest organization of water supply professionals in the world. Its more than 50,00 members represent the full spectrum of the drinking water commnity: treatment plant operators and managers, scientists,environmentalists, manufacturers, academicians, regulators, and others who hold genuine interest in water supply and public health. Membership includes more than 4,000 utilities that supply water to roughly 180 million people in North America. The American Water Works Association is dedicated to the promotion of public health and welfare in the provision of drinking water of unquestionable quality and sufficient quantity. AWWA must be proactive and effective in advancing the technology,science, management, and government policies relative to the stewardship of water.

Baltimore County
The City of Baltimore provides drinking water to over 600,000 residents in Baltimore County. Major portaions of the Liberty Reservioir and Loch Raven Reservoir watersheds are located in Baltimore County as well as several potable water storage tanks and pumping stations. Baltimore County is a major consumer of drinking water produced by the City of Baltimore. The 1994 average-day and maximum-day demands were 102 million gallons per day and 152 million gallons per day. These demands are projected to increase to 156 million gallons per day and 234 million gallons per day, respectively. Continued demand for additional drinking water along with tougher federal drinking water regulations will require additional capital expenditures by the City and County in the coming years.

Howard County
The City of Baltimore provides drinking water supplies to the eastern portion of Howard County http://www.co.ho.md.us/ .The raw water supply comes from Liberty Reservoir which is treated at the City’s Ashburton Water Filtration Plant.The County’s system is currently supplied through three connections to the City water system and one from the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission.The three City/County connections are Gunn Road, Route 40, and Elkridge. Through these connections, the County can receive an average flow of 38.5 million gallons per day with a maximum flow of 68.1 million gallons per day.

Anne Arundel County
The City of Baltimore has an agreement to provide up to ? million gallons per day of drinking water toresidents of Anne Arundel County from the Second Distribution Zone.Water reaching Anne Arundel County residents is treated at the Ashburton Filtration Plant.The raw water supply comes from Liberty Reservoir.

Carroll County
The City of Baltimore maintains two separate agreements with Carroll County. One allows the Freedom Sanitary District to withdrawal an average flow of 2.4 million gallons per day and a maximum flow of 3.0 million gallons per day of untreated water from Liberty Reservoir. The second agreement is with the Town of Westminster and recognizes the rigt of Westminster to take up to 2 MGD from tributaries of the Patapsco River. The North Branch of the Patapsco River is the main feeder stream to Liberty Reservoir.