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Source Water Protection

Source Water Protection. Best Management Practices and Other Measures for Protecting Drinking Water Supplies. Introductions and Background. Introductions California SWAP results Source Water Protection Strategy for California. Assessments Performed by:. 42% DHS 38% Counties 20% PWS.

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Source Water Protection

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  1. Source Water Protection Best Management Practices and Other Measures for Protecting Drinking Water Supplies

  2. Introductions and Background • Introductions • California SWAP results • Source Water Protection Strategy for California

  3. AssessmentsPerformed by: 42% DHS 38% Counties 20% PWS SWAP Assessments Progress as of 7/30/2003 Total sources: 15,300 (94% complete)

  4. Assessment Findings“Most Prevalent” PCAs* * Possible Contaminating Activities occurring most frequently in any zone

  5. Assessment Findings“Most Threatening” PCAs* Zone A = 600’ Min. Radius Zone A = w/in 400’ of SW body or w/in 2,500’ of intake * Very High and High Risk PCAs occurring in Zone A

  6. Rewards • Innovative Software “TurboSWAP” • GIS Mapping Tool • Improved SDWIS Inventory • Participation by PWS Challenges • Not enough staff • Not enough time or resources • Springs & GWUDI sources difficult • Other agency data not accessible • Continuing Concerns • Finishing assessments • Updating assessments • New sources • Inconsistency/Inaccuracy • Collecting source water protection data • Next Steps • Share results with other agencies • Coordinate Data w/ other agencies • Encourage PWS to apply for SRF SWP loans and Prop 50 grants • Encourage PWS to undertake SWP • Work with CRWA

  7. Drinking Water Academy

  8. Objectives • “Train-the-Messenger” • Define source water and explain its importance • Describe the benefits of source water protection • Describe potential threats to source water • Discuss SDWA’s major source water protection programs • Define source water protection measures

  9. Objectives • Discuss types of prevention measures • Describe measures for specific sources • Discuss what individuals and organizations can do to foster source water protection

  10. California Drinking Water Sources Approximately half the drinking water in the state comes from groundwater and half from surface water 7,500 public water systems 3,000 community 1,500 nontransient noncommunity 3,000 transient noncommunity 16,000 water sources 15,000 ground water sources 1,000 surface water sources

  11. Ground Water Significance - Most CWSs Use Ground Water

  12. Introduction to Source Water Protection

  13. What Is Source Water Protection? Taking proactive measures to prevent the pollution of lakes, rivers, streams and ground water that serve as sources of drinking water. Wellhead Protection is another frequently used term that applies to Source Water Protection for ground water sources.

  14. Why do Source Water Protection? • Because the most cost effective method to ensure the safety of the drinking water supply is to protect the source from contamination. • Because it is part of a “multi-barrier” approach to providing safe drinking water; Treatment alone cannot always be successful in removing contaminants. • To improve public perception of the safety of drinking water. • Because safe drinking water is essential to the public health and economic well-being of communities.

  15. Comparing Costs and Benefits • Responding to contamination can be as much as 200 times as costly as prevention

  16. SWP Is Worth It

  17. •••• How Do Contaminants Enter Source Water?

  18. What Health Effects Can Contaminated Source Water Cause? • Acute health effects • Immediate or short term effects • Especially critical to at-risk populations • Chronic health effects • Long term effects (cancer, liver, blood, etc.) from repeated exposure over a life time

  19. Viruses (e.g., Norwalk virus) Bacteria (e.g., Shigella, E.Coli) Parasites, protozoa or cysts Nitrate What Contaminants Cause Acute Health Effects? Parasite - Cryptosporidium Warning Sign About Dangers of Nitrate Parasite - Giardia lamblia

  20. What Contaminants Cause Chronic Health Effects? • Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) • Inorganic chemicals (IOCs) • Synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs)

  21. Source Water AssessmentProgram

  22. What is a Source Water Assessment? An evaluation, using a specified set of procedures, to determine the human activities that are possible sources of contamination to which a drinking water source is most vulnerable. Delineation Inventory of Possible Contaminating Activities Vulnerability Analysis Public distribution of findings

  23. Source Water Assessments as the Basis of Protection • Assessments provide the baseline information to begin protection • Assessments may be used to prioritize protection activities

  24. Minimum Elements of a California Assessment • Location of the source • Delineation of source area and/or protection zones • Evaluation of Physical Barrier Effectiveness • Inventory of Possible Contaminating Activities • Analysis of Vulnerability • Summary of Assessment • Assessment Map • Notification of the Public

  25. SDWA’s Major Source Water Protection Programs

  26. Historical Basis - Early State Approach • Multiple barrier approach used by States since early 1900s included source selection and protection • Sanitary surveys to check system from source to tap

  27. SDWA Source Water Protection Programs • 1974 SDWA • Sole Source Aquifer program • Underground Injection Control program • 1986 SDWA Amendments • Wellhead Protection program • 1996 SDWA Amendments • Source Water Protection loan program • Source Water Assessment program

  28. What Is the Sole Source Aquifer Program? • A sole source aquifer: • Supplies at least 50% of drinking water • Is the only feasible drinking water source that exists • Any person may petition EPA • 70 designated sole source aquifers

  29. Significance of the Sole Source Aquifer Program • EPA reviews Federally-funded projects • Information from SSA designation can help delineate SWPAs • SSAs can raise community awareness • SWAPs can help evaluate candidate SSAs

  30. What is the UIC Program and Why is it Significant? DRY WATER TABLE USDW Underground Source of Drinking Water <10,000 TDS AQUIFER BRINE Brine - Salt Water (>10,000 TDS)

  31. Class III Uranium Solution Mining Water Table USDWs Mineralized Ore Body Exempt Aquifer Class II EOR Well Base of the Lowermost USDW Oil Reservoir Class I Industrial Well Class V Agricul-tural Well Source: GWPC

  32. Shari Ring: Image from EPA WWW What Is Wellhead Protection? • Protection of ground water sources • Authorized by SDWA Section 1428 of the 1986 Amendments • EPA-approved, State-designed wellhead protection plans can receive Federal funding to protect ground water sources • Requirements for Federal compliance

  33. Other Source Water Protection Programs and Initiatives

  34. Source Water Protection Initiatives • Source Water Contamination Prevention Strategy • National Rural Water Association • Environmental Finance Center Network

  35. Source Water Protection under the Clean Water Act CWA SDWA Wastewater Treatment Plants Water Systems Surface Water Used as Drinking Water Surface Water Used for Industrial Uses, Recreation, Wildlife Habitat, and Fishing Ground Water Ground Water Used as Drinking Water Wastewater Discharges

  36. Source Water Protection under the Clean Water Act Watershed Protection

  37. Source Water Protection under the Clean Water Act • “Point” sources or “non-point” sources • National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) • Water quality standards • Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

  38. Other Federal Source Protection Programs

  39. Other Federal Source Protection Programs • See http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ protect/feddata.html for a list of Federal data sources related to source water protection

  40. California Programs that Assist Source Water Protection • AB 3030 • Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) • Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPA) • Department of Pesticide Regulation • Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans • California Rural Water Association • and more…

  41. AB 3030 Groundwater Management Plans • Legislation passed in 1992 allows existing local agencies to develop groundwater management plans • Allows agencies to collect revenues to implement plans • ~ 160 agencies have developed plans • Components may include: • Identification of Wellhead Protection Areas • GW replenishment • Well destruction • Overdraft mitigation • Review of land use

  42. Groundwater Management in California

  43. TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load • Required by Federal Clean Water Act; implemented by Regional Boards • Written plan for impaired water body to describe how water quality standards will be met • Must address all pollution sources within a watershed, both point and nonpoint • Each impaired water body can have multiple TMDLs • TMDL for multiple contaminants • TMDL for individual contaminants • TMDL for multiple water bodies

  44. TMDLTotal Maximum Daily Load • >600 impaired water bodies in CA (303d list) • Do not meet water quality standards, even after point sources of pollution have installed the minimum required levels of pollution control technology • 120 TMDL plans currently underway by Regional Boards • 13 year plan to complete all TMDLs

  45. CUPA - Certified Unified Program Agencies • Unified Program under CalEPA established by legislation (1993) • Coordinates 6 programs into a single point of contact for businesses • Hazardous Waste Generators and On-site Hazardous Waste Treatment • Underground Storage Tanks • Hazardous Material Release Response Plans and Inventories • CA Accidental Release Prevention Program (CalARP) • Above Ground Petroleum Storage Tanks • Uniform Fire Code Hazardous Material Management Plan and Inventories • Local Agency (CUPA) • Permits, inspections, enforcement, fee collection • 43 counties, 23 cities, 3 Joint Powers

  46. Dept. of Pesticide RegulationGround Water Protection Program DPR currently defines “Pesticide Management Zones” • 1mi2 areas where use of pesticides is restricted Proposed regulations: • “Ground Water Protection Areas” to replace PMZs • Types of GWPAs: • Leaching • Runoff • Leaching and Runoff • Restricts use of pesticides • Determined by soil types and depth to GW • “Wellhead Protection Area” = no pesticide use or storage within 100’ of any well

  47. DPR Ground Water Protection Program Source: http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/empm/gwp_prog/gwp_prog.htm

  48. Storm Water Pollution Prevention Programs • Required under Federal NPDES program • Phase I – Plans being implemented • Municipalities > 100,000 population, large construction sites, and certain industries • Phase II – Permits due by 12/2002, implementation within 5 years • Smaller municipalities, smaller construction sites, and more industries • CalTrans has an extensive program and public information materials

  49. California Rural Water Association • CRWA has had a staff person (Sue Murphy) working with many small water systems on source water assessments and protection • smurphy@cwo.com • CRWA now has a staff person (Belinda Green) working with regional areas on source water protection

  50. Who Ultimately Protects the Source?

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