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
•
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?
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
42%
32%
17%
8%
2006 WV SWAP Survey
Lack of
available
funding
Lack of
personnel
resources
Lack of
technical
assistance
Lack of info on
source water
protection
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 APublic 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
Ranking of the Potential
Contaminant Sources
•
Most threatening PCS
survey inventory – GWSW (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
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
Delineation – Wellhead Protection
Area
Delineation – Zone of Critical Concern Area
Delineation – Watershed Area
Potential Contaminant
Sources
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