If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It

Last week was the annual World Water Week, a global conference hosted and organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). The World Water Week has been the annual focal point for the globe’s water issues since 1991 and is an interesting bell weather indicator of water issues.

A rather resonating statement was made during the Opening Plenary: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” Nowhere is this statement truer than with groundwater. Groundwater is complicated. You can’t see it. Groundwater is driven by a complex combination of pressure and gravity, unlike surface water that flows mainly by gravity alone. The complexity of groundwater makes it hard to measure and monitor over large areas.

It is because groundwater is so difficult to measure that it is also so hard to manage.  This is in part why our legal systems tend to split out groundwater from surface water and give groundwater an entirely separate set of rules for governance.  One is reminded of a Texas Supreme Court opinion: “Because the existence, origin, movement and course of such (ground) water, and causes which govern and direct their movements, are so secret, occult and concealed . . . an attempt to administer any set of legal rules in respect to them would be involved in hopeless uncertainty, and would, therefore, be practically impossible.”(Houston & T.C. Ry. Co. v. East 81 S.W. 279 (Tex. Sup. Ct. 1904)).

The Oklahoma legislature finally understands the need to manage groundwater in this state.  Based on the recommendations in the 2012 Comprehensive Water Plan, Oklahoma lawmakers appropriated in March 2013 $1.5 million for a new Groundwater Monitoring and Assessment Program (GMAP). Representing Oklahoma’s first holistic groundwater network, GMAP will collect baseline groundwater level and quality data from wells in Oklahoma’s twenty-one major aquifers.

With programs like GMAP, we will finally start to manage groundwater – by first measuring it.

USGS Studies Reveal Why Drinking Water Wells are Vulnerable to Contamination

All water wells are not created equal.  And not all aquifers are the same.

The risk factor for contamination in water wells is quite variable, as a new USGS study reveals.

Water from nearly one in five public-supply wells in the United States might need to be treated or blended with more dilute water sources to decrease concentrations of drinking-water contaminants before delivery to the public.

Of particular concern is recent evidence that existing water-treatment systems do not effectively remove some contaminants now being found in groundwater. Even when effective water-treatment technologies exist, it is especially difficult for small system operators to implement such technologies because their small customer base might not be able to cover the costs.

The role that water resource development (drilling and pumping of new wells) and well operation play in public-supply-well water quality also has been unclear.

Study-team scientists found that to understand the quality of water pumped from individual public-supply wells one needs to understand the sources of recharge, the geochemical conditions and the groundwater-age mixture of different waters that blend (or mix) in a well.

For the full report, go to: http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1385/

Water Resources Reform Legislation in September

Congress has a lot on its plate after the summer recess.

Although the war drums on Syria and the fiscal budget battle will likely take up a lot of oxygen on Capitol Hill, other legislation is moving forward at a rapid pace as well.  One major piece of legislation in the water sector will be the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2013.

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) stated last month: “This bill will be the most policy and reform-focused legislation of its kind in the last two decades.  This legislation will contain no earmarks and will make major reforms to increase transparency, accountability, and Congressional oversight in reviewing and prioritizing future water resources development activities.  WRRDA will cut federal red tape and bureaucracy, streamline the project delivery process, promote fiscal responsibility, and strengthen our water transportation networks to promote American competitiveness, prosperity, and economic growth.”

The need for reform is getting more obvious over the years.  “We are literally studying infrastructure projects to death. While it once took the Corps of Engineers three to five years to complete a study, it has now become the norm for this process to take 10 to 15 years,” said Bob Gibbs (R-OH).  “The unwieldy review process remains tied up in red tape, costing us time and money and preventing action. Congress must change the way the Corps of Engineers does business.”

The legislation is now in the markup phase of the Committee.  More details can be found at: http://transportation.house.gov/

Colonel Michael Teague starts as new Secretary of Energy and Environment

This week starts the career of Colonel Michael Teague in the newly created Secretary of Energy and Environment position.

Teague is the former Tulsa District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Governor Mary Fallin created the cabinet-level post by combining the offices of Secretary of Energy and Secretary of Environment, recently vacated by Michael Ming and Gary Sherrer, respectively.

Although this move was criticized by some in the environmental sector, Governor Fallin remarked that “strong energy policy is strong environmental policy. In Col. Teague’s new role, his mission will be to help develop policies that encourage energy exploration and production as well as responsible environmental stewardship. His years of experience dealing with energy production and distribution, infrastructure development, and water management will serve him well as Oklahoma’s first secretary of energy and environment. I am proud to have him on my team.”

Combining the jobs of energy secretary and secretary of the environment has been criticized, especially from the energy sector.  Fallin’s office defended the appointment, saying the choice doesn’t diminish her high regard for the energy industry.

Arizona Requires Contractors to Address Future Water Supplies

Building a subdivision can be tough in an area that has limited groundwater supplies. Just ask any contractor in Phoenix. They have to assure a 100 year water supply to the homeowner.

Going beyond the basic coliform test, the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Assured and Adequate Water Supply Programs were created to address the problem of limited groundwater supplies in Arizona. The Adequate Water Supply Program acts as a consumer advisory program, ensuring that potential real estate buyers are informed about any water supply limitations. Under the continuous water availability criteria, water providers or developers must demonstrate that the water supply is uninterruptible for the 100-year period, or that sufficient backup supplies exist for any anticipated shortages. For groundwater, a study must consider demands of area users for a 100-year period, and projected water levels may not exceed depth limitations specified in the rules. These stringent requirements have been in response to the ongoing drought in the state.

Other states are not so stringent.  In Oklahoma, domestic wells are essentially unregulated.  The Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) must view applications to determine if nondomestic wells have a beneficial use, as well as ensure that waste by pollution or waste by depletion will not occur.  In addition, the groundwater withdrawal must not violate Oklahoma Water Quality Standards, or take more fresh groundwater than is authorized by the permit. The Board may also impose additional conditions on the groundwater applicant.

To arrive at the amount specified in an Oklahoma groundwater permit the OWRB conducts maximum annual yield (MAY) studies to determine amounts of water that may be withdrawn from Oklahoma’s groundwater basins by permitted water users. The resulting figure is considered to be the amount of water that can be safely withdrawn from an aquifer to ensure a minimum basin life of 20 years.  The MAY study for the Central Oklahoma aquifer system is to be completed in 2013.

Groundwater Depletion Continues Throughout US

In the past eight weeks two separate reports from the federal government have come out detailing the ongoing depletion of the nation’s major aquifers.

Publishing in Science Magazine, principle author James S. Famiglietti details the results of the GRACE mission (the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, a joint U.S.-German satellite mission) have shown large areas of groundwater withdrawals in a global setting.  The mission includes twin satellites orbiting within roughly 100 miles of each other which are constantly measuring subtle changes in the distance between them. Those changes are influenced by gravity. Because water has more mass, it exerts more gravity and will alter the satellites’ speed and their distance from one another. What they’re detecting, essentially, are changes in the distribution of water and its mass beneath the surface in a way well-by-well measurements never could.

The graphic above details the changes.  The red areas are places where the groundwater is being depleted; the blue areas are where groundwater resources are being replenished.  The Ogallala aquifer in Kansas and Oklahoma can be seen clearly, but what really stands out is East Texas and Louisiana, places where water shortages usually don’t make headlines.

The second study is from the U.S. Geological Survey study which documents that the Nation’s aquifers are being drawn down at an accelerating rate. Groundwater Depletion in the United States (1900-2008) is a comprehensive look that evaluates long-term cumulative depletion volumes in 40 separate aquifers. Two facts stand out from the report.  First, from 2000-08 the amount of water withdrawn from the nation’s aquifers was more than twice the volume of water found in Lake Erie. Second, groundwater depletion in the U.S. in the years 2000-2008 can explain more than 2 percent of the observed global sea-level rise during that period.

Since 1950, the use of groundwater resources for agricultural, industrial, and municipal purposes has greatly expanded in the United States. When groundwater is withdrawn from subsurface storage faster than it is recharged by precipitation or other water sources, the result is groundwater depletion. The depletion of groundwater has many negative consequences, including land subsidence, reduced well yields, and diminished spring and stream flows.

One of the best known and most investigated aquifers in the U.S. is the High Plains (or Ogallala) aquifer. It underlies several states, including Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The study shows that, since 2000, the rate of depletion of the High Plains aquifer has not changed – the water table continues to decline at a high rate.

“[There is a] very dire situation that we face right now in the United States that, frankly, I don’t think many people recognize,” Famiglietti, director of the UC Center for Hydrologic Modeling at the University of California, Irvine, told Scientific American. “I’m talking about the very rapid rates of groundwater depletion.”

 

Draft 2012 Integrated Report “Water Quality in Oklahoma” Available for Review

The annual report describing the quality of Oklahoma’s surface water is now available for comment.  The Integrated Report combines into one document the Surface Water Quality Assessment and the List of Impaired Waters.

The report includes guidelines of how waterbodies are placed in one of five categories depending how well their designated uses are attained. These uses of water are for activities such as drinking, fishing, swimming, recreation, aesthetics, and agriculture. The proposed placement of Oklahoma waterbodies into these categories based on their assessment can be found in Appendix B (Comprehensive Waterbody Assessment) of Oklahoma’s draft 2012 Integrated Report.

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality develops plans with goals and pollution control targets for improving water quality where minimum standards are not met. The waterbodies where these minimum standards are not met are considered to be “impaired.” Impaired waterbodies are listed on Oklahoma’s 303(d) List of Impaired Waters which is found in Appendix C of the draft 2012 Integrated Report.

The ODEQ will hold an informal Public Meeting regarding the draft 2012 Integrated Report, Water Quality in Oklahoma. The meeting will consist of a short presentation, an informal question and answer session (staff from DEQ and other involved State agencies will be on hand to address any questions), and an opportunity to make and/or submit official public comments for the record. The Public Meeting will be held 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality 1st Floor Multipurpose Room at 707 North Robinson (6th and Robinson) in Oklahoma City.

National Ground Water Association Reviewing Water Well Construction Standard

The American National Standards Institute and the National Groundwater Association are soliciting public comment on the changes to the draft of the ANSI/NGWA-07-13 Water Well Construction Standard. Comments will be accepted through the close of business on August 25.

ANSI standards are industry-wide guidance for standard construction practices.  A “standard” is a formal technical document for generally accepted processes, procedures, and policies. These standards help to protect groundwater resources and public health by establishing a benchmark for water well construction.

The Oklahoma Water Resources Board supervises the water well industry in the state of Oklahoma.  Water well construction practices in this state are listed in Chapter 35 of the Oklahoma statutes.  State standards are often based upon the ANSI industry standards.

Among those encouraged to comment are stakeholders in the groundwater industry including contractors, regulators, scientists, engineers, suppliers, and manufacturers, as well as consumers such as private and public water well owners.

Interested parties should download the drafted amendments, as well as the comment form located at http://www.NGWA.org, or contact NGWA Industry Practices Administrator/Certification Coordinator Jessica Rhoads for these documents; comments will only be accepted via the approved form and must be received by e-mail, fax, or postal mail on or before 5 p.m. ET August 25.

Lake Thunderbird Water Quality under Public Review

Lake Thunderbird will be the focus of several public meetings hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality in July as stricter standards for the lake are proposed.  The Oklahoma Water Quality plan will be modified as these new standards are incorporated for turbidity, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen. The full Lake Thunderbird TMDL report can be found on-line at: http://www.deq.state.ok.us/WQDnew/tmdl/index.html.

There will be a workshop about the technical aspects of the models used to develop the TMDLs for the Lake Thunderbird study on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 2:00 pm in the DEQ 1st Floor Multipurpose Room. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss in-depth details about the modeling that was used to develop the TMDLs, and the implications for permitted dischargers in the watershed. Though anyone is welcome to attend, this will be a technical discussion of most interest to cities and other regulated entities in the watershed and the technical community. While questions about the models will be answered, this is an informal meeting and no public comments for the record will be taken. These topics will also be discussed in a less technical manner at the Public Meeting later that evening. DEQ is located at 707 North Robinson in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Directions to DEQ can be found on the DEQ webpage at http://www.deq.state.ok.us/mainlinks/map2deq.pdf.

Later that same day (July 23rd), there will be a Public Meeting regarding the Lake Thunderbird Report for Nutrient, Turbidity, and Dissolved Oxygen TMDLs beginning at 6:30 pm in the Lowry Room of the Norman Public Library. The Norman Public Library is located at 225 N. Webster in Norman, Oklahoma (phone 405-701-2600) [a map of where the library is located can be found at this website: http://www.librarything.com/venue/27012/Norman-Public-Library.] The Public Meeting will include an overview of the Lake Thunderbird TMDL project and its recommendations. Questions will be answered and there will be the opportunity to make public comments for the record.

The TMDL report is a draft document and is subject to change based on comments received during the public participation process. All official comments for the record must be submitted either in writing or by e-mail before the end of the comment period or orally at the public meeting. For clarity, written comments are preferred. DEQ will prepare a responsiveness summary addressing all comments received.

The comment period will be open until 4:30 PM, August 1, 2013. Please submit your comments in writing to: Dr. Karen Miles, Water Quality Division, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 1677, Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1677   (405) 702-8192  E-mail: Water.Comments@deq.ok.gov

Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 1, 2013.

ACOG Water Calendar

EVENT	SPONSOR	DATE	LINK
2013 Secchi Dip-In	EPA	Jun   29 – Jul 21	http://www.secchidipin.org/
Lake Thunderbird TMDL Workshop	ODEQ	23-Jul	https://www.deq.state.ok.us/wqdnew/tmdl/thunderbird/index.html
Brownfield ARC Grant Writing Workshop – Stillwater	ODEQ	30-Jul	http://www.deq.state.ok.us/mainlinks/COE/7_8_2013%20Calendar%20of%20Events.pdf
Brownfield ARC Grant Writing Workshop – Lawton	ODEQ	31-Jul	http://www.deq.state.ok.us/mainlinks/COE/7_8_2013%20Calendar%20of%20Events.pdf
Comments Close for Lake Thunderbird TMDL	ODEQ	1-Aug	https://www.deq.state.ok.us/wqdnew/tmdl/thunderbird/index.html
Garber-Wellington Association Meeting	ACOG	15-Aug	http://www.acogok.org/Calendar/Default.asp