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NESC – RCAP Smart Water Program August 4, 2008. Review of West Virginia’s Source Water Assessment and Protection Program A State Perspective By: William J. Toomey - CPG Program Manager - SWAP/CT/GIS. WV Department of Health and Human Resources – BPH/OEHS.
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NESC – RCAP Smart Water Program August 4, 2008 Review of West Virginia’s Source Water Assessment and ProtectionProgram A State Perspective By: William J. Toomey - CPG Program Manager - SWAP/CT/GIS
WV Department of Health and Human Resources – BPH/OEHS • Primary agency designated to carry out the provisions of the federal “Safe Drinking Water Act” that passed in 1974. • SDWA Regulates Public Water Supplies quality of the water. • Amendments: 1986 Wellhead Protection program and 1996 Source Water Assessment program. • States Flexibility and Resources. • Voluntary • WV Rural Setting West Virginia State Capitol
Active Public Water Systems within West Virginia • Population of West Virginia ~ 1.8 million with ~ 1.4 million served by Public Water Supplies. • Community Systems – 329 • 184 Groundwater • 128 Surface Water (~76% of population) • 17 GWUDI • Non-Community System – 641 • 619 Groundwater • 14 Surface Water • 8 GWUDI
WV Susceptibility Assessment Reports (The Beginning Not the END) • Starting place for water systems and communities to identify areas for additional evaluation and management activities. • Provides awareness of the potential threats that exists within the SWAP area. • A map and listing of the potential contaminant source inventory. • Susceptibility Ranking Susceptibility Reports Completed for All Water Systems
Question ????? • What's next - How do we move to the Implementation phase? • SWAP Survey • Initial and Substantial Implementation When I was told about the implementation phase!
Question to WV Water Systems - barriers to implementing source water protection plans? 2006 WV SWAP Survey
Other Barriers • Not required by regulation - voluntary • Most systems and/or local authorities overwhelmed with “their job” • No time left to dedicate to protection • Will work on protection as time permits • Security concerns 2006 WV SWAP Survey
WV SWAP – Next Steps • Integration into SDWA programs - sanitary surveys, waivers, new well approvals • Integrating GIS information • Accessible data • Data from existing programs • Secure Website • Intake and well data – sensitive data • Development of Partnerships • Integrate and reduce institutional barriers • Development of Memorandum of Understandings • Water Quality Standards– WV Category A-Public Water Supplies • WV Groundwater Protection Act • Potomac and Ohio River Partnerships • Continue to work with the SWAP Committee • Identifying Key Players
WV SWAP – Next Steps • Source Water Grant Program • Developing the Source Water Protection Technical Help Program (SWPTHP) • Educational and Outreach Programs • SWAP Website http://www.wvdhhr.org/oehs/eed/swap/ • Community Reports Online • Flow Models • Conferences • Newsletter • Awards • SWAP Guidance Manual (HC and WEB) You have to repeat the message over and over again before people hear it and believe it
West Virginia SWAP – Recommended Steps at the Local Level • Local Planning Committee • Review Initial Susceptibility Report • Update or expand as necessary • Identify Local Source Water Concerns • Source Water Protection Measures WV American Water Company working on a watershed project SWAP Group in Berkeley County WV
Most threatening PCS survey inventory – GW-SW (Highest) (GW) - Septic (on-site sewage disposal) systems (SW) - Mining Extraction 2006 Survey Results (public water systems)- – GW-SW ( Highest) (GW) - Septic Systems (SW) - Flooding Ranking of the Potential Contaminant Sources
West Virginia SWAP – Protection Measures • Education and Outreach • Conduct Emergency/Contingency Planning • Source Management Strategies
West Virginia SWAP – Protection Measures • Identify possible new source water protection measures • Non-regulatory • Good House Keeping Practices – Security, Keep Site Clear, Eliminate Abandoned Wells, discuss SWAP with the PCS’s, emergency response plans • Regulatory • Land Use Controls – Zoning • Regulations and Permits • Identify resources and new regulations (if any) necessary to implement the measures
WV SWAP - How Do We Measure Progress !! • Surveys • Initial and Substantial Implementation • Ambient monitoring data
REMEMBER….. ALWAYS DRINK UPSTREAM OF THE HERD Slide from Michigan Private Water Well PPT presentation
QUESTIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION William J. Toomey - CPG Program Manager - SWAP/CT/GIS DHHR/BPH/OEHS/EED Capitol and Washington Streets 1 Davis Square, Suite 200 Charleston, WV 25310 Website: www.wvdhhr.org/oehs/eed/ Email: wtoomey@wvdhhr.org