Groundwater Quality Protection in North Carolina. GWPC Annual Forum - September 12, NC Department of Environmental Quality

Transcription

1 Groundwater Quality Protection in North Carolina GWPC Annual Forum - September 12, 2016 NC Department of Environmental Quality

2 The Division of Water Resources Groundwater Efforts The Division of Water Resources seeks to: Protect groundwater drinking water supplies. Centralize statewide groundwater information for analysis, and make it easily available to users. Monitor groundwater at permitted facilities for potential impacts to sources of drinking water. Conduct groundwater monitoring of state-owned and private cooperator wells to determine the availability and quality of groundwater resources over time and across the state. 2

3 Monitoring Groundwater Why should we monitor groundwater? To determine the quality of existing local drinking water sources. To assess whether managed or permitted facilities are affecting groundwater quality. To determine if current land use practices may be affecting groundwater quality. To assess ambient (regional) groundwater quality. To access the effects of groundwater withdrawals. 3

4 Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Determine the quality of existing drinking groundwater sources Is private or public supply well water quality currently impacted? Is private or public supply well water quality changing over time? What groundwater treatment is to be expected for new wells? Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Facility Groundwater Monitoring Land Use Practices Ambient Groundwater Monitoring Groundwater Withdrawals 4

5 Facility Groundwater Monitoring Assess whether managed or permitted facilities are affecting local groundwater quality. Assist private well owners regarding testing and alternative water supplies if facilities have impacted their wells. Determine appropriate methods of mitigating facility impacts to groundwater. Find and assess instances of legacy (past) local groundwater contamination. Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Facility Groundwater Monitoring Land Use Practices Ambient Groundwater Monitoring Groundwater Withdrawals 5

6 Land Use Practices Determine if current land use practices may be affecting groundwater quality. Can better management practices minimize impacts to groundwater quality? Assist users of groundwater for drinking with treatment of well water. Assist users in finding alternative sources of drinking water. Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Facility Groundwater Monitoring Land Use Practices Ambient Groundwater Monitoring Groundwater Withdrawals 6

7 Ambient Groundwater Monitoring Assess ambient (regional) groundwater quality. What is the likely quality of local groundwater as a potential supply for drinking, irrigation, and other uses. Are regional groundwater withdrawals causing saltwater intrusion to aquifers? Are naturally occurring (geologic) factors affecting groundwater quality? How can the effects of human or naturally occurring impacts to groundwater quality be mitigated? Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Facility Groundwater Monitoring Land Use Practices Ambient Groundwater Monitoring Groundwater Withdrawals 7

8 Groundwater Withdrawals Assess the effects of groundwater withdrawals. What are the effects of groundwater pumping for the availability of future water supplies? What are the effects of groundwater pumping for ambient groundwater quality? Are regional groundwater withdrawals causing saltwater intrusion to aquifers? How can the effects of groundwater withdrawals be mitigated? Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Facility Groundwater Monitoring Land Use Practices Ambient Groundwater Monitoring Groundwater Withdrawals 8

9 Sources of Statewide Groundwater Quality Information DWRGroundwater Monitoring Network and CCPCUAProgram. DWR Resource Evaluation Program (REP) monitoring sites. DWR Public Water Supply post-treatment testing (SDWIS). Public Water Supply Systems pre-treatment testing. NCDEQ permitted or managed facility monitoring. 9

10 Sources of Statewide Groundwater Quality Information USGS data (NWIS). Groundwater information maintained by counties. Local Health Department private well testing. Private non-regulatory groundwater information from well owners. 10

11 Sources of Statewide Groundwater Quality Information Publicly Available? Data Available Online? Individual Wells? Water Use? Water Levels? Water Quality? Well Positions? Restricted Access? Program Groundwater Database Publicly Available Data Available Online Individual Wells Water Use Water Levels Water Quality Well Positions DEQ/ITS/JD GWDSS Groundwater Decision Support System * * * * * * * * DEQ/DWR/PWS SDWIS Safe Drinking Water Information System * * * DEQ/DWR/WP Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area (CCPCUA) and Registrations Database * * * * * * * DEQ/DWR/WP Groundwater Monitoring Network Database * * * * * * * DEQ/DWR/WP GW-1 Well Construction Records Database * * * * DEQ/DWR/WP Ambient Monitoring/Resource Evaluation Program * * * * * DEQ/DWR/WQRO BIMS Basinwide Information Management System Database * * * * * DEQ/DWM/Superfund Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Superfund DSCA (DryCleaning) Remediation Sites Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Superfund List of Onsite Dry Cleaning Sites (not drop off sites) Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Superfund National Priority List Sites Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Superfund Historic Manufactured Gas Plant Sites Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Superfund Pre-regulatory Landfills (Old Landfills Inventory) Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Hazardous WasteClosure/Post-Closure Care/Corrective Action Sites Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Hazardous WasteHazardous Waste Management Facilities Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/UST RUST (Incident Management) * * * * DEQ/DWM/UST Above Ground Storage Tanks Database * * * * Restricted Access DEQ/DWM/UST Soil Permitting Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/UST TIMS - permitted Underground Storage Tanks Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Brownfields Brownfields Database * * * * DEQ/DWM/Solid Waste Solid Waste Management Facilities Database * * * * NCDHHS/DPH/EHS Groundwater Monitoring Database * * * NCDHHS/DPH/EHS Private Well Program Database * * * NCDHHS/DPH/Ep Private Well Water Use and Recommendations Analysis Report * * * NCLPH Laboratory of Public Health Database * * * * MCGWS Mecklenburg County Groundwater & Wastewater Services * * * * WCGPW Wake County Groundwater Protection and Wells * * * * 11

12 State-Owned Groundwater Monitoring Stations and Wells DWR Resource Evaluation Program (red) and Groundwater Monitoring Network (green) stations with one or more wells. (There are many other wells that are not actively monitored.) 12

13 DWRGroundwater Monitoring Network and the Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area Program (CCPCUA) Groundwater monitoring network. Water levels monitoring statewide from wells installed and screened at multiple depths. Central coastal plain groundwater withdrawal permitting. Counties in Black. Water level and use data collection from permittees. Some restrictions to groundwater withdrawals. Salt water intrusion monitoring. Yearly onsite chloride field test for NC monitoring network wells near the NC Coast. Biennialchloride laboratory analyses for permitted wells within the CCPCUAnear the NC Coast that may by susceptible to salt water intrusion. Groundwater sampling for standard parameters is about to begin in some NC counties, and will be ongoing. 13

14 14 DWR Groundwater Monitoring Network and the Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area Program (CCPCUA) Map Interface

15 15 DWR Groundwater Monitoring Network and the Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area Program (CCPCUA) Map Interface

16 DWR Resource Evaluation Program (REP) The REP program is focused on typical groundwater quality in areas of the Piedmont and Mountain regions of the State, and was established to: Assist in the development of appropriate classifications and standards for groundwater quality, Effectively condition waste disposal permits to protect water quality, Evaluate potential man-made and natural threats to groundwater quality, Provide technical information to help facilitate the rule-making process, Provide information needed to effectively respond to releases of contaminants, Help to determine cost effective groundwater clean-up requirements, and Provide a better understanding of the relationships between groundwater and surface water. 16

17 Use of REP Wells for Academic Monitoring and Teaching NC State and Duke Universities use wells in the NC REP program for ongoing groundwater studies and for hydrogeology coursework. Lake Wheeler Road Monitoring and Research Station (NC State University) NC State training facility. Rocky Branch Monitoring and Research Site (NC State University) Naturally occurring groundwater contaminants and groundwater/surface water interactions near USGS real-time stream guages. Duke Forest Monitoring and Research Station (Duke University) Hydrogeologic characteristics of metavolcanic and metaplutonic rocks. Naturally occurring groundwater contaminants such as arsenic, radium, and radon. 17

18 NC State University - Rocky Branch Monitoring and Research Site NC State University - Lake Wheeler Road Monitoring and Research Station 18

19 Duke University - Duke Forest Monitoring and Research Station 19

20 Public Water Supply Systems Pre-treatment and Post-treatment Testing Treated water analyses is reported the DWR Public Water Supply Section (PWSS). PWSS information is useful for water quality information, but treatment affects many parameters of concern. Public Water Systems, particularly large municipal systems, are being contacted for analyses information of groundwater taken directly from the source. 20

21 DWR Public Water Supply Groundwater Source Wells DWR Public Water Supply systems post-treatment testing results are reported to DWR. The information is maintained in Public Water Supply (PWS) Section s Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). Source water quality results are typically affected by treatment. Public Water Supply systems pre-treatment testing. Laboratory analyses for source treatment needs. This is a data source for ambient groundwater quality. This data is more representative of natural groundwater conditions. This information is another component of the NC groundwater quality monitoring network. 21

22 DWR Public Water Supply Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) Program Assess the potential for contamination for all North Carolina public drinking water sources. 22

23 NCDEQ Permitted or Managed Facility Groundwater Monitoring Division of Water Resources (red) Land Application of Wastewater Residuals Land Application of Animal Operations Residuals Coal Combustion Residuals Remediation Wells Division of Waste Management (black) Solid Waste Superfund Brownfields Hazardous Waste Underground Storage Tanks Dry Cleaning Solvents Sites Pre-Regulatory Landfills 23

24 NCDEQ Permitted or Managed Facility Monitoring Many facilities have groundwater monitoring at a compliance boundary. Many facilities have monitoring of nearby private wells. Residuals Land Application Animal Operations RUSTs Coal Combustion Residuals Pre-Regulatory Landfills 24

25 NCDEQ Permitted or Managed Facility Groundwater Monitoring -ArcGIS Online (active landfills) 25

26 USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) USGS collects water quality and levels information from a national system of wells. Other historical information is maintained, such as from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program Groundwater and soils sampling from 1976 to Evaluate uranium resources for power. Groundwater sampling for other parameters including ph, Manganese, Vanadium. 26

27 USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) Historical and realtime collection of groundwater quality, levels, and use information. USGS Water-Quality Data for the Nation 27

28 North Carolina Geologic Terranes NCGS NC Geological Survey 28

29 USGS National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program Groundwater samples taken from 1976 to ph: blue < 6.5 Vanadium: red > 1 ppb Manganese: red > 100 ppb Geologic Terranes 29

30 Groundwater Quality Information Collected by Counties NC counties have particular resources to collect and maintain groundwater and well information. Many counties have sophisticated groundwater information resources. With the county-wide functionality we want to provide statewide. Wake, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, etc. Some counties also encourage and facilitate groundwater quality sampling for specific, local parameters of concern. With door to door canvasing. DWRwill provide assistance to counties with groundwater information needs. An online well permitting site showing known DEQcontaminated site (a Well Permitting Decision Tool ) A registry for LHDwell permitting water quality information. An online well construction information search and submittal application for drillers, private well owners, and the public. 30

31 31 Wake County NC Online Map Application - imaps

32 32 Wake County NC Online Map Application - imaps

33 33 Wake County NC Mobile Map Application

34 Local Health Department Private Well Sampling Sample Parameters (15A NCAC 18A.3803) Arsenic Manganese Bacterial indicators Barium Mercury -total coliform bacteria, Cadmium Nitrates and if present, Chromium Nitrites -fecal coliform bacteria or E. coli. Copper Selenium Fluoride Silver Iron Sodium Lead Zinc Magnesium ph 34

35 35 Local Health Department Private Well Sampling

36 Local Health Department Private Well Sampling 35 Rate of Zinc Exceedance vs. Rate of Galvanized Casing Use Percent of Sample Exceeding Standard (Henderson) (Rowan) R² = (Nash) (Orange) Percent of Wells with Galvanized Casing 36

37 Local Health Department Private Well Sampling 10.0 Rate of Lead Exceedance vs. Median ph Percent of Samples Exceeding Standard 9.0 (Henderson) (Cumberland) R² = (Orange) (Statewide) 3.0 (Wayne) (Guilford) 2.0 (Buncombe) (Union) 1.0 (Pender) (Nash) (Rowan) Median ph 37

38 New Private Drinking Water Wells Groundwater samples taken at the wellhead from July, 2008 to April, Manganese Black: > 50 ppb (NC 2L groundwater standard) 38

39 New Private Drinking Water Wells Groundwater samples taken at the wellhead from July, 2008 to April, Arsenic Black: > 10 ppb (NC 2L groundwater standard) 39

40 Research on Private Drinking Water Wells Arsenic Probability from Private Well Data (Pippin, 2005) 40

41 41 NURE Uranium Analyses and NC Terranes

42 42 NURE Vanadium Analyses and NC Terranes DEQ Map Application

43 North Carolina County Groundwater Investigations Wake County USGS NURE Uranium NCDHHS/SLPH information 43

44 Private Non-regulatory Groundwater Information Private well owners may sample their wells to: Determine general drinking water quality. Address a color, taste, or other immediate issue. Confirm status of well for property transactions. Private well owners may allow DWR to use their wells for ambient water level monitoring and water quality sampling. Cooperators will form an extensive groundwater monitoring network. Many states do this. 44

45 Groundwater Information in North Carolina We are currently aggregating all NC groundwater information in a Groundwater Decision Support System (GWDSS) so that staff and public can access it in a single environment. This information will be disseminated through a single Public Portal. We will provide contaminated site information online through a Well Permitting Decision Tool in This tool will provide assistance to Local Health Departments for permitting new private wells. We are developing an online version of the Well Construction Record form for drillers, well owners, and the public to submit and review well construction information. 45

46 NCDEQ Groundwater Decision Support System (GWDSS) NCDEQ NCSLPH DWR DWR/PWS DWR/BIMS DWR/CCPCUA DWR/Monitoring Network DWR/Well Construction DWM DWM/UST DWM/Brownfields DWM/Hazardous Waste DWM/Solid Waste DWM/Superfund Public Health Private Well Water Quality NCDHHS EHS EHS/Private Wells EHS/Monitoring EHS/Well Construction GWDSS NCDEQ/DWR/PWS NCDEQ/DWR/BIMS NCDEQ/DWR/CCPCUA NCDEQ/DWR/Monitoring Network NCDEQ/DWR/Well Construction NCDEQ/DWM/UST NCDEQ/DWM/Brownfields NCDEQ/DWM/Hazardous Waste NCDEQ/DWM/Solid Waste NCDEQ/DWM/Superfund NCDHHS EHS/Private Wells NCDHHS EHS/Monitoring NCDHHS EHS/Well Construction NCSLPH/Public Health USGS/NWIS Blue= Information contributed to GWDSS Red= GWDSS is primary database Other Groundwater Information USGS/NWIS NC Counties 46

47 Well Permitting Decision Tool Can find location by address, coordinate or using device GPS Legend Find features within a buffered distance of a point, line or polygon 47 Shows the closest address to the point clicked

48 Well Permitting Decision Tool Download Available Sites within buffer 48

49 Online Well Construction Record System Well Information Mapping Search 49

50 Online Well Construction Record Form Well Drillers Local Health Departments (LHDs) Logon SWN Known / Assigned? No SWN Lookup / Assignment Notification of Proposed Well LHDsWell Permit Number, Approval, and Entry into County Registry Yes -Register Proposed or Existing Wells -Provide Construction Information -Find Precise Well Positions -Correct Errors in Well Information Report Associate Water Quality Info Map-based Location Tool Submit GW-1 to LHD LHDsPrivate Well Sampling Info Return When Well Info is Obtained No GW-1 Complete? Yes Logoff SWN = State Well Number (NC ) 50

51 Online Well Construction Records Dissemination Query Methods Dissemination Methods Groundwater Decision Support System Text Query GW-1 (and other) Text Information Well Info Well Information Map Selection GW-1 Graphic Representation Borehole Log Plot -Add to well construction parameters: Borehole lithology, Log Plot geophysics, water levels, analyses & interpretations (Hydrogeology, etc.) 51

52 HowDo We Protect North Carolina Groundwater Quality? Information and Analysis! Will There Be a Central Place to Find NC Groundwater Information Sources? YES!! Links to available groundwater information. By Fall Well construction information collection and dissemination. In

53 Questions? Craig Caldwell, P.G. Planning Section / Division of Water Resources North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality craig.caldwell@ncdenr.gov