Source Water Protection Case Studies

Source Water Protection
Case Studies
Leah G Walker, P.E.
Senior Sanitary Engineer
California Department of Health Services
Drinking Water Technical Programs Branch
California Examples
• Protection
– Sebastopol
– Anaheim
– Lake Berryessa
• Assessment and Protection
– Yosemite Valley
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Protection Case Studies
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Sebastopol
First test of
DWSAP
assessment
procedures
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Sebastopol - Background
• Population 7,800
• Regional “urban” center for surrounding rural area
• Water System:
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5 wells = 483 MG/year
Well 5 off-line due to PCE
Well 4 has shown 1,2-DCA and MTBE
Well 7 – new well
• Hydrogeologic setting
– Unconfined, porous media aquifer
– High transmissivity, steep gw gradient from west
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Sebastopol - Vulnerability
• Sources are most vulnerable to PCAs
associated with detected contaminants:
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Dry Cleaners (PCE)
Known Contaminant Plumes (PCE and 1,2-DCA)
LUFTs (1,2-DCA and MTBE)
Gas Stations (1,2-DCA and MTBE)
• And …
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Sebastopol - Vulnerability
• And to those PCAs not associated with
detected contaminants from the top of the
vulnerability ranking:
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Chemical storage
Metal plating/finishing
Plastics/synthetics producers
Septic systems on parcels < 1 acre
Sewer Lines
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Sebastopol – After the Assessment
• No formal plan or ordinance adopted, but
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Invited a public committee; held some meetings
More vigorously pursuing cleanup of contamination
Prioritizing sewer line repairs in Zone A
Eliminated use of pesticides on city-owned property
Evaluating all proposed development in City for
possible GW impacts
– Evaluating land use proposals outside city limits, but in
zones, for possible impacts
– Considers allowing hookup to city sewer if septic
system fails in Zone A
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Lake
Berryessa
Purpose:
• Federal/ State/
Local
Partnership for
SWP and
Coordinated
WQ
Monitoring
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Lake Berryessa Background
• Lake developed and
operated by US Bureau of
Reclamation for flood
control and water supply
• Water supply users
– Solano County Water Agency
(360,000 population in 5
communities)
– 9 small resorts and
subdivisions
• Meeting initiated by DHS
and EPA as demonstration
project
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Lake Berryessa - Background
• Meeting Participants:
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US Bureau of Reclamation
Solano County Water Agency
Resort owners
Napa County Public Works
DHS
EPA
RWQCB
Fish & Game
Napa County Environmental Health
Key participants
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Lake Berryessa - Results
• Key participants:
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Regular meetings (now run by SCWA)
Contaminant Management Plan
Coordinated WQ Monitoring Plan
Communication on spills, accidents
Coordinated review of development proposals
Hazardous waste collection day
Marina operator workshop
Signs, brochures (boaters, campers, day users,
home owners)
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City of
Anaheim/
Orange County
Water District
Purpose:
• “Establish Public/
Private/ Community
partnership to protect
public health through
a proactive process to
prevent groundwater
contamination”
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Anaheim - Background
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Began in 1993 – Pre-DWSAP
Local Groundwater Protection Pilot Program
Population = 290,000
29 wells providing more than 2/3 of water supply
6 GW basins recharged by OCWD through an
elaborate system
• 8 wells out of service:
– 4 Nitrates
– 2 Benzene
– 2 Chlorinated hydrocarbons
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Anaheim – Project Objectives
• Establish Technical Advisory Committee
(TAC)
• Select Pilot Project Area
• Delineate Capture Zones
• Identify Potential Pollution Sources
• Manage Potential Pollution Sources
• Prepare a Contingency Plan
• Implement Public and Industry
Public Education and Participation Program
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Anaheim – TAC
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City of Anaheim
Orange County Water District
Orange County Environmental Health
Orange County Environmental Management
DHS
Regional Water Quality Control Board
Dept. of Toxics Substances Control
EPA Region IX
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Anaheim - Delineation
• Done by
OCWD
• Used
QuickFlow
groundwater
model
• Defined
capture zones
for wells in
project area
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Anaheim – PCA Checklist
• Did not have DWSAP checklists
• Identified chlorinated solvents as primary
contaminant of concern
• Collected data from a variety of sources
– Amount of data was overwhelming
• Developed a list of 1,000 businesses
• Narrowed list to those associated with
chlorinated solvents in protection areas
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Anaheim – Field Inspections
• Inspected facilities from list
• Used a checklist to verify:
– Type of activity
– Regulatory status
– Presence of Class V UIC wells
• underground injection wells
• shallow disposal wells
– Materials handled or stored
– Underground storage tanks
– Presence, storage, and disposal of hazardous
materials
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Anaheim – Vulnerability Analysis
• Using information from databases and field
inspections, did a risk assessment to rank the
facilities
• Considered:
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Presence in zone
Presence of Class V well
Presence and quantity of chlorinated solvents
Presence and status of UST
Presence and compliance of hazardous materials
Presence and compliance of hazardous waste
Industrial discharge compliance
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Anaheim – Well Identification Project
• Goals:
– Verify the existence, location, and condition of “unknown
status” wells within project area
– Determine if wells were potential source of groundwater
pollution
– Use retired senior volunteers
• Results:
– Enough volunteers (20) to do project throughout city
– 251 wells researched, 49 found, 17 possible findings, 10
additional wells found
– 245 volunteer hours
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Anaheim – Managing Pollution
Sources
• Verify status of existing UST, industrial, and VOC
cleanups in capture zones
• Prioritize inspections of facilities by risk
assessment
• Provide compliance and technical assistance to
businesses
• Identify if enforcement action necessary
• Develop public education and participation
programs
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Anaheim – Education and
Participation
• Industry
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Business newsletters
Fact sheets
Technical libraries
Workshops
Groundwater Star program
Well construction and closure guidelines
Technical assistance
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Anaheim –
Education
and
Participation
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Anaheim – Education and
Participation
• Community
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Bus shelter posters
Groundwater protection educational posters
Environmental First Aid Kit
Water Quality research project at high school
Water works summer reading program
Groundwater guardian program
Used oil recycling program
Speakers Bureau
Community events
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Orange County Water District –
Current Activities
• Children’s Drinking Water Festival
– 7,000 students, teachers, volunteers, presenters
– 2-day event
• Sponsor of the Blue Planet Foundation
• Interactive water exhibit at Discovery
Museum of Orange County
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Assessment and Protection
Case Study
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Yosemite
Valley
Purpose:
• Another test of
DWSAP
procedures and
demonstration of
a federal/state
partnership for
SWP
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Yosemite Valley - Background
• Yosemite National Park
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Total = 1,169 sq. miles
Undeveloped wilderness = 1,100 sq. miles
4 million visitors/year
1,500 – 3,000 employees of NPS and YCS
• Water Systems
– 21 public water systems
– 4 community systems, 17 non-community
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Yosemite Valley - Background
• Yosemite Valley Water System
– Permanent Population = 2,500
– Visitors = 3.2 million/year
– Service connections = 235
• 3 Wells
– Confined aquifer of glacial porous media
– Artesian conditions for most of year until late
summer, early fall
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Yosemite Valley – Working
Group
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National Park Service
DHS
EPA Region IX
Concessionaire*
Public Meeting
– Counties
– Other interested parties
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Yosemite - Delineation
Buffer Zone
Zone B10
Zone B5
Zone A
Zone B10
Buffer Zone
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Yosemite Valley – Assessment
Tasks
• PCA Inventory
– Done w/ field review and maps by DHS, NPS
and EPA
• PBE
Confined aquifer + Artesian = High
• Vulnerability
– No contaminants detected
– Historic gas stations
– Known contaminant plumes
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Yosemite Valley - Protection
• Evaluation of current practices
– NPS and YCS are already implementing most
SWP activities we could recommend, due to
other programs or planning
• Recommended public education
– Get these messages across:
“Yosemite Valley water is Naturally Protected From
the Ground Up”
“Fill up on Valley water before heading to back
country”
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Yosemite Valley –
Public Education
• Water Fountain with tap for
filling water bottles
• Includes a source water
protection message
• Installed at the Visitor
Center
• Dedicated to the late John
Clark, a Park Service
employee who was
instrumental in the project
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