SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS
COUNTY
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Overview of Source
Water Protection in Berks County
• Major sources of contamination included (PA DEP
source water assessments Year ??):
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Abandoned Mine Drainage
Agricultural Practices
Urban/Suburban Storm Water Runoff
Sewage Overflows
Transportation Accidents
• Protection priorities included:
– Land areas within a 5 hour time of travel to an intake
– Sub-watersheds along the Schuylkill River and across
the northwestern portion of the county
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Potential Sources of Pollution
Fires &
Accidents
Wastewater
Agriculture
Construction
Discharge
Runoff
Tire Piles
Dam
Sediments
Road Salt
Algae
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
Sewer
Overflows
Wildlife
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Berks County Water Intakes
in the Schuylkill Watershed
• 8 drinking water utilities have surface water
treatment plants
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Auburn Borough Municipal Authority (2)
Birdsboro Municipal Authority (4)
Boyertown Municipal Authority (3)
Hamburg Borough (1)
Hamburg Center (3)
Reading Area Water Authority (2)
Wernersville State (2)
Western Berks Water Authority (1)
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Map of Schuylkill River with intakes
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Municipal Roles in
Source Water Protection
• Human activity
impacts water quality
– Development,
farming, roadway and
domestic sewerage
and other activities
can all have negative
effects on stream
quality
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
http://www.eacnetwork.org
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Population Changes in the Berks County
Region Changes in Population 1990 - 2000
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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Residential
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
Lower Schuylkill
Wissahickon Creek
Middle Schuylkill 1
Entire Schuylkill Watershed
Majorshed
Valley Creek
Perkiomen Creek
Pickering Creek
Middle Schuylkill 2
French Creek
Manatawny Creek
Monocacy Creek
9%
8%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
Hay Creek
Middle Schuylkill 3
Allegheny Creek
Tulpehocken Creek
Maiden Creek
Upper Schuylkill
Little Schuylkill
Change in Area (%)
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Changes in Developed Lands 1990 - 2000
Berks County
Downstream
Commercial
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Schuylkill River Landuse
& Stream Impairments
100%
downstream
upstream
% Developed or impaired
90%
80%
% Developed
70%
% Impaired (2003)
60%
50%
40%
Urban/
Suburba
n
Rural (for
now)
Agr.
AMD
30%
20%
10%
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Watershed
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Berks County Land Cover 2000
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Source Water Protection
in the Tulpehocken Creek Region
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Home to over 62,000 people
66% agriculture, 8% developed, 24% forested
219 square miles
Blue Marsh Lake is a major
recreational resource for
swimming, boating, fishing,
hiking and biking
• Western Berks Water
Authority Intake,
Wernersville Intake
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Impaired Streams Map
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Priority Runoff Protection Areas
Tulpehocken and Wernersville Intakes:
• Bern, Penn, Bernville, Jefferson,
North Heidelberg, Lower
Heidelberg, South Heidelberg,
Heidelberg and Marion Townships
• Source Water Protection
Resources
– The Tulpehocken Creek
Conservation Plan
– Source Water Assessments for
Western Berks and Wernersville
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Source Water Protection Zones for Western
Berks and Wernersville Intakes
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Priority Protection Areas
for the Schuylkill Watershed
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Source Water Protection
in the Maiden Creek Region
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Home to over 37,000 people
58% agriculture, 4% developed, 34% forested
216 square miles
Lake Ontelaunee is a major
recreational resource for
fishing, hiking and biking
• Lake Ontelaunee and
Maiden Creek supply
Reading Area Water
Authorities drinking water
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Impaired Streams Map
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
http://www.eacnetwork.org
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Priority Runoff Protection Areas for
Reading Area Water Authorities Intakes
• Richmond, Greenwich, Perry, Windsor, Albany,
Maiden Creek and Ontelaunee Townships
• Source Water Protection Activities
– RAWA developing a Source Water Protection Plan
– Kutztown developing a Wellhead Protection Plan
– Schuylkill Action Network implementing
streambank restoration projects in the watershed.
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Priority Protection Areas
for the Schuylkill Watersheds
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Source Water Protection in the
Monocacy and Manatawny Region
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Home to over 33,000 people
53% agriculture, 5% developed, 41% forested
117 square miles
Ironstone Creek,
Popodickon Reservoir and
Trout Run Reservoir supply
drinking water to the
Boyertown Water Authority
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Impaired Streams Map
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
http://www.eacnetwork.org
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Priority Runoff Protection Areas for
Reading Area Water Authorities Intakes
 Earl, Colebrookdale and lower Pike Townships and
the Borough of Boyertown
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Source Water Protection
Zones for Boyertown
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Priority Protection Areas
for the Schuylkill Watershed
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Source Water Protection in
the Hay and Allegheny Region
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Home to 9700 people
28% agriculture, 4% developed, 67% forested
4 square miles –
Birdsboro Reservoirs
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Water Intakes and Impaired Streams in the
Hay and Allegheny Watershed Region
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Priority Runoff Protection Areas –
Birdsboro Municipal Authority
• Hay Creek Watershed – Robeson, Union and New
Morgan Townships
• Birdsboro Municipal Authority is developing a
Source Water Protection Plan, will want to work
with Municipal Officials
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Source Water Protection Zones, Birdsboro
and Pottstown Intakes
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Priority Protection Areas for Schuylkill
Watershed
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Practicing Source Water Protection …
• Immediate Intake Areas (less than ½ mile
upstream from intake)
– preserve open land/buffers
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Practicing Source Water Protection …
(Cont.)
• High Priority Areas (less than 5 hour travel time
and within ¼ mile of streambank)
– preserve buffers, connect buffers, reclaim buffers
– enhanced storm water Best Management Practices
• redevelopment should include BMPs
• public properties have “gold standard” BMPs
– stricter controls for runoff (ordinances) (no buffer
bypassing)
– limit development to low impact activities, redirect
to areas further from the drinking water intake
– no floodplain development (FEMA buyouts)
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Practicing Source Water Protection …
• Moderate Priority Areas (between 5 and 25 hours
of travel time)
– Continue to preserve buffers whenever possible
– General development preferred, with buffer
restrictions
• Connection of High Priority Areas from one intake
to another
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
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SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Practicing Source Water Protection …
(Cont.)
• Other Items To Consider
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Synergy with regional “trails”
Sewer system capacity and sewer overflows
Coordination with Storm Water Requirements
“Green Infrastructure”
Costs of fixing impaired streams (100’s of $$$
millions)
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
http://www.eacnetwork.org
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
What’s In Your Water Supply?
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
http://www.eacnetwork.org
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IN BERKS COUNTY
Credits
This (workshop, brochure, video, etc.)
has been funded (or partially funded) by
the League of Women Voters of
Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund
through a Section 319 Federal Clean
Water Act grant from the US
Environmental Protection Agency
administered by Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection.
Environmental Advisory Council Network, A Project of the PA Environmental Council
http://www.eacnetwork.org
End Of Presentation
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