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PLANNING SCHOOLS ENVIRONMENT EROSION
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Briefing on Water Issues & Task Forces in Berkeley County
Source Water Protection
•Why are we here?
-To Ensure that Berkeley County is provided with clean, healthy, and abundant drinking water;
-Safe Drinking Water Act mandates certain actions by State and Local Officials;
•Effort to local ownership of effort;
•Assess quality of drinking waters by 2003;
•No statutory mandate to protect source water.
Purpose of Initial work
•Identify all relevant water sources in county;
•Identify corresponding contamination sources and threats;
•Identify local stakeholders to assess sources and risks.
Partners of Initial Work
•U.S. Geological Survey;
•Canaan Valley Institute;
•U.S. Department of Agriculture;
•County Health Department;
•County Planning Commission;
•MD Env. Finance Center;
•WV Environmental Health Services;
-Environmental Engineering Div.
Water Sources for City and County
•City uses two Springs;
•County uses Springs, Quarries, Well, and Potomac River;
•All have suffered from recent drought;
•These Springs and Well are sited in karst topography:
-Poses unique problems for both supply and treatment;
-Under influence of Surface Water Contamination.
Risks to Water Resources
•Inadequate supply:
-Drought;
-Demand;
•Contamination:
-Karst geology makes resource vulnerable to contamination:
•Septic, sewer;
•Industry, hazmat;
•Development, stormwater;
•Agriculture, wildlife
SWAP Task Force:
Community Participation
SWAP Subcommittees
Water Resource Subcommittee
Septic and Sewer Subcommittee
Agriculture/Wildlife Subcommittee
Industry, Transportation, Land Fill(s) and HAZMAT Subcommittee
Development, Growth and Storm Water Management Subcommittee
Water: Resource and Availability
Berkeley County Growth :
The county experienced a 28.1% growth rate during the 1990 - 2000 decade.
We are likely to add another 22,000 residents during the next decade or 8,700 more homes.
Water Availability
Berkeley County and the city of Martinsburg provide 7 million gallons per day (GPD) to 20,000 customers.
Over 60 percent of this public water is from groundwater--springs and wells.
Under normal rainfall conditions, the projected shortfall for Berkeley County for the next decade is at least 750,000 GPD.
Berkeley County Public Water Customers
50 % residential or 16,000 housing units
48 % commercial & industrial
2 % government
Berkeley County Housing Units: Sources of Water
2000 Census Data: 25,385 Housing Units
Public water 65 %
Wells 35 %
2001 Final Plats: 910 Housing Units
Public water 84 %
Wells 16 %
Berkeley County Housing Units: Sources of Water
2002 to Date
Preliminary Plats: 104 Housing Units
Public Water 90 %
Wells 10 %
Conferences or Letters: 412 Housing Units
Public Water 32 %
Wells 68 %
Water Resource Subcommittee
Water availability
Allocation issues
Acceptable short-term alternatives
Acceptable long-term alternatives
Community input in advance of a professional Source Water Protection Assessment Plan
Water: Potential Impact Issues
Impact Issues on Water Quality
Berkeley County watershed-- EPA assessment: "More Serious Water Quality Problems - High Vulnerability" (www.epa.gov/iwi/counties/54003/)
Assess current, existing problems
Assess potential 'critical contamination incidents'
Reports Completed to Date
1995 USGS, "Water-Resources Investigations Report 93-4073"
2000 USGS/Eastern Panhandle Conservation District, "Relation of Bacteria in Limestone Aquifers to Septic Systems"
Reports Completed to Date
1996 Environmental Research Inc./Berkeley County Health Dept. ,"Septic System Performance Analysis Utilizing Infrared Aerial Photography"
2000 Martinsburg Wellhead Protection Plan Report
Summary Results
1996 Infrared Aerial Report
Study area of 7 square miles - Inwood,
Williamsport and Hedgesville
At least 233 septic failures were identified
Another 106 septic fields indicated severe seasonal stress
Martinsburg Wellhead Protection Plan Report
Completed in 2000
City's "wellhead protection area" is a 25 square mile area in Berkeley County
Developed a list of suggestions to protect our water
Concentrated on development and 'critical incident' events
Martinsburg Wellhead Protection Plan Report
Land Use Planning - govern uses considered high level threats to groundwater
Establish easements to provide buffer areas around sinkholes
Transfer development from critical to non- critical areas
Regular collection of hazardous wastes (like done by the BC Solid Waste Authority)
Martinsburg Wellhead Protection Plan Report
Reduce chronic threats - remove and replace Leaky Underground Storage Tanks (LUST's)
Inform citizens and encourage them to report contamination incidents
Inform citizens of past or near incidents - nightmare scenarios (I-81 and rail lines)
Berkeley County Housing Units: Waste Water Method
2000 Census Data: 25,385 Housing Units
Public sewer 44 %
Septic & other 56 %
2001 Final Plats: 910 Housing Units
Public sewer 84 %
Septic & other 16 %
Berkeley County Housing Units: Waste Water Method
2002 to Date
Preliminary Plats: 104 Housing Units
Public Sewer 82 %
Septic & Other 18 %
Conferences or Letters: 412 Housing Units
Public Sewer 28 %
Septic & Other 72 %
Septic and Sewer Subcommittee
Impact of septic disposal on water quality
Appropriate septic methodologies
Appropriate housing density using septic systems
Community input in advance of a professional Source Water Protection Assessment Plan
Agriculture/Wildlife Subcommittee
Impact of agriculture and wildlife on water quality
Best Management Practices
Community input in advance of a professional Source Water Protection Assessment Plan
Industry, Transportation, Land Fill(s) and HAZMAT Subcommittee
Impact of various types of industry on water quality
Impact of a critical incident along our commercial corridors - I-81 and rail lines
Impact of land fills on long-term water quality
Development, Growth and Storm Water Management Subcommittee
Impact of projected growth and development on water quality
Impact of impervious surface growth on
groundwater recharge
Appropriate storm water management methodologies in karst topography, especially sink holes
Avenues to Protection
State: Dept. of Environment Protection
Local: Berkeley County Board of Health
Local: Berkeley County Planning Commission
Avenues to Protection
Dept. of Environmental Protection
NPDES and storm water management practices
Title 47, Series 58 Groundwater Protection Rules
Work through the state to enhance protection in karst areas
Avenues to Protection
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Senate Bill 468 (2002) - "provisions to protect and prevent contamination of wellheads and well fields used by public water supplies"
Influence new rulemaking efforts
Avenues to Protection
Berkeley County Board of Health
WV Code §16-2-11 Powers and Duties
"Environmental health protection including the promoting and maintaining of clean and safe . . . water . ."
Avenues to Protection
Berkeley County Subdivision Ordinance
WV Code §8-24-1, et. al.
" . . new community centers grow only with adequate highway, utility, health . . facilities" (WV Code §8-24-1).
The Subdivision Ordinance takes precedence if more restrictive than any other statute or legislative rule (WV Code §8-24-70).
Why Are We Here?
To identify issues
To seek solutions
To evaluate each solution
To provide community input prior to any formal study
To make recommendations to
the County Commission