JAY – A group of stakeholders plans to meet Wednesday to brainstorm ideas to protect Parkhurst Pond as a source of drinking water.

Part of the mission of the Maine Rural Water Association’s Source Water Protection Program is to help smaller, rural water suppliers in Maine to protect surface water supplies, said Susan Breau, source water program manager.

Parkhurst Pond in East Jay, also known as Parker Pond, is the secondary freshwater source for the Livermore Falls Water District, which serves customers in Livermore Falls and Jay.

The goal of the program is to protect public health, Breau said.

The stakeholders’ preliminary meeting begins at 3 p.m. at the Jay Middle School library on Community Drive off Route 4 in Jay.

Participants will discuss what the community wants, and balance that with protecting public health in the future, Breau said.

“The reason we have stakeholders is to get public feedback,” Breau said. “We were planning on doing a basic brainstorming to set a basic course for the future.”