The existence of comprehensive groundwater protection programs on the federal, state, and local levels was investigated. Because of the unique characteristics of aquifers and contamination sources, local groundwater protection programs were found to be the most comprehensive; however, it was discovered that no universally accepted method existed to measure their effectiveness. An evaluation method was developed to determine local groundwater protection program effectiveness, and the method was applied in two case studies, one urban and one rural. The urban program, developed in Dayton, Ohio, was found to be a comprehensive and effectively implemented program; the rural program, developed in Clarke County, Virginia, was found to be a comprehensive program, but lacked full implementation. The experience gained in the case studies was used to revise the format of the evaluation method, and draw conclusions concerning the usefulness of the method. A description of the evaluation method, the case studies, and all related data collection are included. / Master of Science