Source Water Quality. at Remsen, Iowa. September 27, At the Ground Water Protection Council 2011 Annual Forum, Atlanta, GA

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1 Partnership to Improve Source Water Quality through Habitat Restoration at Remsen, Iowa Chi Ho Sham, The Cadmus Group, Inc.; Rebecca Ohrtman, Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources; Dan Cook, Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources; and Steve Pick, Remsen Municipal Utility September 27, 2011 At the Ground Water Protection Council 2011 Annual Forum, Atlanta, GA

2 Acknowledgement Rebecca Ohrtman - Source Water Protection Coordinator for High Priority Targeted Community Water Systems at Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Dan Cook - Senior Environmental Specialist of the Contaminated Site Section of Iowa DNR Steve Pick - Director of Utilities Operations of Remsen Municipal Utility 2

3 Overview An introduction to Iowa s Source Water Protection Program Source Water Protection Efforts at Remsen, Iowa Roles of multiple collaborators Implementation of Source Water Protection at Remsen and observations so far 3

4 Iowa s Source Water 92% of Iowa s public water systems are groundwater systems 55% of Iowa s population is served by groundwater systems Of the 2,000 plus systems, 1,849 use O t e,000 p us syste s,,8 9 use groundwater as their source

5 Iowa s Source Water Protection ti Program Where is it at? Has identified ifi d highly hl susceptible community water supplies Where is it going? Efforts underway to decrease risk through effective planning/implementation with conservation partners How will it get to the finish line? Through local, state, t and federal partnerships initiating iti from the grass-roots level and spanning state-wide

6 Iowa s Source Water Protection ti Program Identifies priority community water systems for future groundwater site investigations Resources to conduct 4 to 6 groundwater site investigations per year Moves forward with facilitated planning process

7 High Priority Community Water Systems

8 Groundwater Site Investigation Characterization and assessment of the source water and the land or sub-surface area from which the source water is derived is essential for obtaining the understanding and knowledge needed to develop the goals and plans and implement the actions that will realize the SWP vision. *Operational Guide to AWWA Standard G300, Source Water Protection, American Water Works Association, May 2010

9 Remsen, Iowa

10 MCL

11 Groundwater Site Investigation at Remsen Identify potential source area(s) for the high nitrate levels found in Municipal i Well No.8. Identify groundwater flow paths for the Deep Creek alluvium system. Determine why Wells No. 3, 5 and 6 y, do not have the same nitrate levels.

12 Alluvium Aquifer Modeling with Visual MODFLOW Three Dimensional i Groundwater Flow and Transportation Modeling

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14 Iowa DNR Groundwater Sampling

15 Shallow - 30+ppm Deep - 30+ppm Shallow pp m Deep - ND Shallow -ND Deep - ND Shallow - 6.5ppm Deep - 4.3ppm

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17 Shallow Nitrate Levels (16 to 20 Feet Deep)

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19 Deep Nitrate Levels (28 to 32 Feet Deep)

20 Site Investigation Conclusions The close proximity of two feed lots may also be contributing to the nitrate levels. Potential source area for the nitrates found in Municipal Well No.8 appears to be from application of commercial fertilizer and manure in a sensitive area. Potential migration pathway without well No.8 8 Because of Municipal Well No.8s unique position and pumping rate most of the nitrate contamination is captured.

21 Nitrate Levels in the Soil

22 407 lb nitrate-n/ Acre/Ft (800mg/kg) 570 lb Nitrate-N/ Acre/Ft (1000mg/kg) 665 lb Nitrate-N/ Acre/Ft (1300mg/kg)

23 Problem Identified Potential problem; agricultural activities in the well field area Over application of fertilizer/manure in a environmentally sensitive area.

24 How to Solve the Problem USE THE SWP PARTNERSHIP Remsen SWP Community Planning Team Remsen Utilities Board and City Council Plymouth County USDA-NRCS Sioux Rivers RC&D IDNR SWP Program & Contaminated Sites Section staff IDNR Clean Water SRF State Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) USDA-ARS Plymouth County PF Chapter

25 Purchase Land to Create a Source (Land Acquisition) Water Protection Area SRF - Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program: Action: Loan to purchase acres west of well field WIRB - Watershed Improvement Review Board: Action: Grant to purchase 21.1 acres east of well field (Land Restoration) Pheasants Forever: Action: prepare seedbed and plant most of the new wellhead protection area.

26 Land Acquisition SRF - Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program WIRB - Watershed Improvement Review Board

27 Pheasants Forever Plymouth County, Iowa Chapter Prairie restoration area (majority of the acres) Most of the farm structures res have been removed City s new wellhead protection area Acres

28 Site Preparation Fence and structure removal (Completed by City of Remsen) Early spring 2009

29 Seedbed Preparation (Completed by Pheasants Forever) Spring 2009

30 Seeding and Signage (Completed by Pheasants Forever) Spring 2009

31 It Takes Time.

32 Third year of prairie grasses

33 30 Remsen Municipal Water Supply Nitrate Levels Wells No. 3, 5, 6, and itrate Levels mg/l N Well 3 Well 5 Well 6 Well 8 Rainfall (In Inches) Linear (Well 8)

34 Remsen SWP Project: Pro-active SWP community planning team GW site investigation completed by DNR Conservation partners involved SWP plan developed d & implemented Acquired a WIRB grant to purchase land in high priority area + PF in-kind and $ assistance Additional land was acquired for future well fields - if needed - a 0% interest loan for $600,000 was acquired, requires an approved SWP phase 2 plan Implementation was achieved within 2 years On-going monitoring for life of WIRB grant

35 AWWA Exemplary Source Water Protection Award 2010 Small System: Remsen Municipal Utilities, IA Purpose of the Award: To recognize organizations in North America who have developed and are implementing exemplary source water protection programs. Frequency of the Award: Yearly, up to three awards, with the intent to distribute to organizations representing different water system size classifications based on the population served. Eligibility: ibili Any organization i or drinking water system that performs source water protection for drinking water supplies in North America is eligible to apply for the award. 35

36 Questions? For Additional Information or Questions Contact: Chi Ho Sham The Cadmus Group, Inc. (617)