May 10, 2017 Kent County Administration Bldg. Conference Room 220 Dover, DE

Transcription

1 May 10, 2017 Kent County Administration Bldg. Conference Room 220 Dover, DE

2 Agenda Time Subject Presenter 8:00-9:00 Setup / Refreshments 9:00-9:15 Opening Remarks & Program Update 9:15 10:00 Water Supply Issues in the Delaware River System: A Tale of Tunnels, Transfers, Tumult, and Trout Fishing Doug Rambo DNREC - Source Water David Wunsch, P.G. DE State Geologist / Director, DE Geol. Survey 10:00 10:15 Break 10:15 11:00 11:00 11:40 Delaware Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Infrastructure Improvements Update: Source Water Assessments for Surface Water Systems (City of Wilmington, Hoopes Reservoir, City of Newark, and SUEZ Water DE) Scott Andres, P.G. Delaware Geological Survey Andrew Homsey University of Delaware Water Resources Agency 11:40 12:00 Public Comment / Questions and Answer Session

3 New Members Martin Wollaston retired from the University of Delaware Water Resources Agency. Andrew Homsey will be taking his place for WRA. Ed Hallock retired from the Office of Drinking Water. Keith Mensch will be taking his place for ODW. Stephen Lefebvre is no longer with the Homebuilders Association of Delaware, John Johnson will be taking his place for HBADE.

4 Program Updates Surface Water Source Water Assessment Updates We will be hearing today from Andrew Homsey from the University of Delaware Water Resources Agency on their findings. Christina Basin Early Warning System Update Another alert came out of the Early Warning System on the morning of November 9, 2016 Erich Schuller of the DNREC ERT alerted the EWS of a fire at Bancroft Mills on the west bank of the Brandywine Creek just upstream of the City of Wilmington s intakes. WRA and the City were alerted of the issue.

5 Program Updates - continued Source Water Protection Leadership Forum (SWPLF) In December 2016, Anita Beckel and Doug Rambo represented DNREC at the first SWP Leadership Forum held by EPA R3 in Philadelphia. The Leadership Forum was held to introduce established and newly formed source water collaboratives to the Source Water practitioners working in Region 3. Martha Narvaez from the UD-WRA and Mary Neutz of SUEZ Water DE were also in attendance from Delaware representing the Christina Basin Clean Water Partnership.

6 Program Updates - continued DGS Evapotranspiration (ET) Study Status: Completed Research was done to compare direct ET measurements from the new Eddy Covariance sensor at a farm in Sussex County to ET estimates derived by traditional methods (Thornthwaite and Penman-Monteith) and by an Atmometer, a low-tech instrument. Data collected by the new instrumentation will be useful to research by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources into water demands by crops and development of more efficient irrigation practices and by DNREC to determine water needs for crop irrigation related to irrigation well permits. Delaware Ground Water Monitoring Network Status: Contract Extended The Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) currently monitors groundwater levels in a network of 68 wells in Delaware. Long time-series of water levels in major aquifers serve as critical baseline data for resource management and analyses of aquifer response to pumping, climatic variability, drought hazards, seawater intrusion, and interaction with streams and their ecosystems.

7 Program Updates - continued 3 rd Round: Occurrence and Distribution of Selected Contaminants in Public Drinking-Water Supplies in the Surficial Aquifer in Delaware Status: Proposal Received DNREC has received a proposal from the USGS to revisit the study that was first done in 2000/2001 by Matt Ferrari and re-done by Betzy Reyes in 2010.

8 Program Updates - continued We continue to evaluate all new public water well applications and comment on them, prior to construction, with respect to contamination sources located nearby prior to final permitting SWP continues to work with DNREC SIRS on: the issues related to the PFOS/PFOA contamination in the public wells near the Delaware Air National Guard / New Castle County Airport area as well as the surficial aquifer at the Dover AFB (no PWS affected). their continuing investigation into potential sources of contamination in the Hockessin area related to detections of trichloroethene (TCE) in public supply wells. U.S. EPA will be taking over Lead on this. The EPA Region 3 investigation into the tetrachloroethene (PCE) that has been detected in one of the Town of Delmar s supply wells. Complete New well permitted for Town. We continue to work with DNREC TMS and do reviews of new UST facilities being installed in the State and their location relative to drinking water receptors. (6 reviews since last CTAC meeting)

9 Status of Source Water Ordinances (2000 Census) New Castle Kent Sussex County: Done but addressing minor issues with Level II Watersheds County: 150-foot WHPA setback in place. Working to address larger WHPAs and Excellent Recharge Areas County: Done Middletown Done Camden Done Georgetown Done Newark - Done but addressing minor issues with Level II Watersheds Dover Done Laurel Done New Castle - Done Harrington Done Lewes Done Wilmington - Done Smyrna Done Milford Done Millsboro Done Seaford Done

10 Status of Source Water Ordinances (2010 Census) New Castle Kent Sussex Odessa - Done Clayton - Done Bridgeville - Done Townsend - Done Milton - Done Selbyville - Done

11 Farewell to John Barndt Moving on to Greener Pastures John Barndt has decided to retire from the State of Delaware after 32 years of service. John at the control panel of an Anadarko Petroleum drill rig at one of their Marcellus Shale exploration sites in Lycoming County, PA (June 2010) during an EPA Region 3 Source Water Program Meeting field trip. He will be with DNREC through the end of June

12 Next Meeting November 1, 2017

13 Presentations

14 Open Q & A Period

15 Thank you for your participation.