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History and Purpose

Virginia Ground Water Withdrawal Permitting Program Modeling for Resource Management Robin Patton Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. History and Purpose. Commonwealth of Virginia Ground Water Management Act. Google Map reference….

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History and Purpose

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  1. Virginia Ground Water WithdrawalPermitting ProgramModeling for Resource ManagementRobin PattonVirginia Department of Environmental Quality

  2. History and Purpose Commonwealth of Virginia Ground Water Management Act

  3. Google Map reference…

  4. Ground Water Management ActVirginia Code § 62.1-254 et seq. The General Assembly determines that the right to reasonable control of all ground water resources within the Commonwealth belongs to the public and that in order to conserve, protect and beneficially utilize the ground water and to ensure the public welfare, safety and health, provision for management and control of ground water resources is essential. Originally enabled in 1973 and applicable in designated Ground Water Management Areas [Eastern Virginia - 9 VAC 25-600-20 et seq. and Eastern Shore - 9 VAC 25-620-10 et seq.] Revised in 1992 for issuance of permits based on need rather than capacity and to include agriculture as regulated use.

  5. Virginia’s Coastal PlainHistorically providing abundant, accessible water resources…

  6. VirginiaGround WaterManagement Areas Initiated by Board motion or petition received from any county, city or town in area, when… • GW levels are declining. • Well interference is occurring. • Supply may be overdrawn. • Adverse changes to water quality have occurred or are expected.

  7. VirginiaGround WaterManagement Areas Industrial Withdrawals 65 Mgd Initiated by Board motion or petition received from any county, city or town in area, when… • GW levels are declining. • Well interference is occurring. • Supply may be overdrawn. • Adverse changes to water quality have occurred or are expected.

  8. VirginiaGround WaterManagement Areas Industrial Withdrawals 65 Mgd Initiated by Board motion or petition received from any county, city or town in area, when… • GW levels are declining. • Well interference is occurring. • Supply may be overdrawn. • Adverse changes to water quality have occurred or are expected. Municipal Withdrawals 25 Mgd

  9. VirginiaGround WaterManagement Areas SWI – Eastern Shore Peninsula Initiated by Board motion or petition received from any county, city or town in area, when… • GW levels are declining. • Well interference is occurring. • Supply may be overdrawn. • Adverse changes to water quality have occurred or are expected.

  10. Permits are issued for a maximum term of 10 years. Authorize withdrawals by location and aquifer and specify maximum annual and monthly (seasonal) withdrawal limits. Requires withdrawal reporting and special conditions Incorporates facility-specific “Water Conservation and Management Plan” into the permit. Specifies mitigation area by incorporating “Area of Impact” maps into the legally enforceable permit. GWMA Regulations 9 VAC 25-610-10 et seq.Any person or entity wishing to withdraw 300,000 gallons per month or more in a declared management area must obtain a permit.

  11. Virginia’s Cooperative Technical Approach

  12. VA-DEQ Ground-Water Modelers… • determine Area of Impact (1-ft drawdown contour) for each impacted aquifer incorporating site-specific information supplied by the applicant. • 2-Dimensional Analytic Solutions • Site-specific Analytical Element Models • Site-specific 3-D Models • Regional 3-D Models • utilize regional flow models to evaluate the combined effects of all lawful withdrawals with the proposed withdrawal to insure resource sustainability. • insure prescribed drawdown limits for confined aquifers are not violated • insure water quality is not degraded

  13. The Permittee provides… • compliance reports. • water use • water levels • water quality • aquifer information. • aquifer testing • cores and/or geophysical logs • assistance with regional investigations. • installation of observation well nests • local governments can be a funding source for USGS

  14. The USGS provides research support through… • special studies. • revisions to hydrogeologic framework • CBIC • water quality/levels • water use • development of regional flow models. • synthesize information from permit investigations and monitoring • recommend improvements to modeling methodolgy • cooperative observation well network.

  15. Benefits of cooperative approach • a documented archive of resource information and a coordinated research program for resource sustainability • resource/permit evaluations are conducted using consistent methodology that is repeatable • regulatory agency has the ability to evaluate multiple scenarios for decision support and direct efforts for additional technical resources • scientific agency receives field data from the permitting process and funding support for required research, objectivity is maintained because no responsibility for regulatory program • regulated community involvement in the technical program increases understanding resource issues

  16. Simulate the combined effects of all permits • Identify areas where additional management control or information is needed

  17. Simulate the combined effects of all permits • Identify areas where additional management control or information is needed • Insure information is obtained from priority locations • Compliance Reporting • Requirements to determine impacts

  18. Simulate the combined effects of all permits • Identify areas where additional management control or information is needed • Insure information is obtained from priority locations • Compliance Reporting • Requirements to determine impacts

  19. Ground Water Modeling capability allows the regulatory agency to fulfill it’s resource management mission. • Permit issuance requires protection of existing users and sustainability of the ground water resources. • “The board shall issue a ground water withdrawal permit when it is demonstrated, by a complete application and the board's technical evaluation, to the board's satisfaction that the maximum safe supply of ground water will be preserved and protected for all other beneficial uses and that the applicant's proposed withdrawal will have no significant unmitigated impact on existing ground water users or the ground‑water resource.” • Requests that do not meet the requirements of the regulatory program are recommended for denial.

  20. Iterative Cooperative Process • Simulate the combined effects of all permits • Identify areas where additional management control or information is needed • Insure information is obtained from priority locations • Compliance Reporting • Requirements to determine impacts

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