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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-17-2007-WRPMemoMEMORANDUM TO: BOCC and Manager FROM: Alice Gordon RE: Water Resources Coordinator DATE: May 17, 2007 When we were discussing the Water Resources Program proposal at our May 15 meeting, commissioners posed several questions related to the positions. That was when I realized that we were missing relevant information concerning the proposed Water Resources Coordinator, which the manager recommended be hired in June 2007. This is the first position to be proposed and the one for which the $50,000 reserve could be used. A year ago we approved this position reserve in order to be proactive in protecting our water resources before there was a crisis like a drought or other emergency. We also wanted an expert to help with our comprehensive plan because we need the best information possible when we plan the sustainable future land uses for Orange County. Today, with global climate change a reality and the comprehensive plan well underway, the time to finalize this position is now. This position proposal has a long history and some of the relevant information was missing from our May 15 agenda packet. Included with this memorandum is at least some of the critical information. A. The Water Resources Initiative, adopted by the BOCC in May 2005. The Water Resources Initiative, which outlines the critical water-related issues for the County, is attached. On May 3, 2005 the BOCC adapted this initiative in principle, without committing additional funding at that time. Note that this initiative's recommendations for action build an a series of ground water studies conducted in conjunction with the U. S. Geological Survey and the Water Resources Committee that began in 1992 and were completed in April 2001. These efforts resulted in two published reports on ground water quality and quantity, a groundwater cantaminatian susceptibility map, a GIS mapping package, and eventually the recommendations of the Water Resources Committee (1992-2001 }. B. Water Resources Coordinator The proposed Water Resources Program {WRP) outlined the responsibilities of the Water Resources Coordinator. Twa major aspects of those responsibilities are described below. 1. Develop the Water Resources Component of the Natural and Cultural Systems Element of the Comprehensive Plan As discussed in the WRP, this position would serve as the point person on the Water Resources Component of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan, developing policy recammendationsond coordinating closely with other departments and staff. Far example, following up on the 1996 USGS study of recharge areas would help inform the development of the water resources component, which will be developed in the next few months. Also important for comprehensive planning would be further data on the relationships of land use patterns and flooding. In summary, to effectively plan for the sustainable use of this critical natural resource, it is necessary to have scientific expertise and understanding of the relationships between land use patterns and draughts, flooding, the County's geology and other natural features, and its water supply. 2. Begin Implementation of the Water Resources Initiative/ Water Resources Program. The position could begin implementation of the Water Resources Initiative/ Water Resources Program, a proactive program to tie together the many years of surface water planning and ground water studies and build on that knowledge to address critical water resource issues that affect all citizens of Orange County. Responsibilities would include but not be limited to the provision of scientific expertise to the commissioners, County departments, advisory boards, and the public on surface water hydrology, ground water hydrogealogy, and the inter-relationship between the two, and interpretation of current and future studies and research in this area. Nate that particularly important focus issues for the position would be droughts {impacts of draughts on ground water supplies, so that appropriate action can be recommended}, ground water contamination {following up on the 2001 USGS study}, and ground water availability. A follow up to the 1996 USGS study of recharge areas could provide key information on ground water availability and provide support to the Planning Department and citizens regarding the adequacy of recharge areas/ lot sizes to support ground water based supply in new developments. Information on ground water availability would also be a service to the public in Orange County, a headwaters county with limited quantities of water and a history of droughts. Parenthetically, Imight note that I wish better information had been available when the well at my house started to run dry several years ago. We were able to get an adequate supply by drilling a second well at the cost of several thousand dollars, but we could not get any really good information about siting the well and had to take our chances. Even general information about ground water availability would be helpful. I hope this information provides some clarification concerning the proposed water resources program, with specific emphasis an the Water Resources Coordinator. If we act now, we will make goad use of a critical opportunity far Orange County to plan far the effective use of this very important resource. Adopted in principle by BCC, May 3, 200 WATER RESOURCES INITIATIVE (WRI) Protection and conservation of Orange County's water resources has been a paramount concern for the County for at least a quarter of a century. In 1981, Orange County was the first County in the State to implement watershed protection zoning and was involved in watershed technical studies far the University Lake, Little River and Cane Creek watersheds. These efforts led to the County's having some of the most innovative and progressive water protection standards in the State, and this remains true today. Significant energy and resources were expended to address surface water supply and water quality issues between 1987 and 1994. In 1992, as per an adopted BOCC goal, the County undertook to explore the other "missing" piece of its water resources, namely, ground water quantity and quality. Major Investment in Ground-Water Studies Over the Last Decade A Water Resources Committee was formed in 1992 to proactively address ground-water resources in Orange County. Between 1993 and 2001, the County entered into three joint cast-share projects with the United States Geological Survey to explore information about the County's ground water. This Water Resources Project culminated in 2001 with the release of the Report of the Water Resources Committee. However, since then, little has been done to follow up on the important information found in these studies. Critical Issues The 2002 State of the Environment report highlights the opportunities and need to build on the work done over the past 17 years in surface and ground water protection, and notes critical issues for further consideration. These include a focus on the most important and pressing issues that have been identified, drought and ground-water contamination. An additional significant issue is that of ground-water availability. The draft 2004 State of the Environment report continues an emphasis an those critical issues. Thus the Commission for the Environment has identified, as its top priority, the need to launch a Water Resources Initiative (WRI}. This is a program to tie together the many years of surface water planning and ground water planning and to build on that knowledge to address critical issues that affect all of the citizens of Orange County. This proactive program to address the County's ground water resources, before serious ground water problems arise, is another indication of Orange County's commitment to the protection of its water resources. CRITICAL AREAS TO ADDRESS Water is one of our mast important resources because, without it, life could not exist. Many Orange County residents rely on ground-water as their primary source of drinking water, while others rely on public water supplies, but all County residents are linked by theirreliance on pure, clean drinking water available in sufl<cient quantities for daily life. What the ?7 years of ground-water and surface-water studies have demonstrated is that there are several water quality and quantity issues that are so critical that they should be followed up without further delay. There are also related and important public services that, if provided, could be very beneficial to the citizens of Orange County. Issue 1. Droughts and Floods In the past 5 years, Orange County has experienced an extended drought. This draught was just a particularly troublesome one, but it is certainly not the first. The County has periodically experienced water shortages for a number of years, and as the population increases and puts more demands on the available water resources, the problems can only increase. To be responsible stewards of those resources and to promote sustainability, the County and its citizens must address the problem of recurring droughts. The County has also experienced flooding after hurricanes or atherlarge storms. Both of these extremes, droughts and floods, create challenges for the citizens and the County, and it is important to try and minimize adverse impacts and plan wisely for the future. To address these challenges, the Water Resources Initiative proposes action in the fallowing areas. Potential partners in the effort are shown in parentheses. A. Impact of Draughts on Ground and Surface Water Availability (ERGO, County Engineer, Planning, EMS, OWASA} Droughts can seriously affect ground water availability as well as surface-water supplies. At present, there is no reliable means to monitor the impact of drought on ground water, or to alert the public to conserve ground water when conditions warrant. Providing a series of observation wells could help address this need. Observation wells would help point to emergent ground water supply problems. As there are various stages and classifications of drought conditions, some have greater or lesser effect on ground-water resources. An observation well network patterned after the design in a USGS study of 1981 by Mike Winner) would allow the County to monitor ground water in storage, and to issue alerts for ground- water conservation if storage is reduced beyond expected levels attributable to seasonal fluctuation. 2 B. Impacts of Ground-Vltater Base Flow on VNater Supplies and Aquatic Life (ERCD, County Engineer, Planning, OWASA} Providing assistance to the County Engineer regarding base flaw to streams, and impacts on water supply and aquatic resources, should be helpful. Base flow is the ground-water component of stream flow, and it sustains stream flow during dry periods of the year. Base flaw studies of streams in the county would assist in management of surface water based supplies (reservoirs), especially during draughts. C. Impacts of Land Use Patterns on Flooding (ERCD, Planning) Flooding and drought are both extremes, but the underlying mechanisms and the ways to address these hazards are different. In the case of floods, monitoring of changing land use patterns -- and the passible resultant effects on intensity of flooding and increase of flood-prone areas - is a priority need. This function could include review of FEMA floodplain maps and evaluation of any unmapped streams where new development may result in increased potential for floods. Following flood events, indirect measurements of peak flood heights should be made, and related to recurrence intervals determined by the USGS, Corps of Engineers ar other responsible agencies. These data need to be compared to any existing flood-prone area maps to ensure their accuracy, especially in areas undergoing development. Additional areas that may need to be mapped should also be identified. Issue 2. Ground-Water Contamination and other Threats Along with an adequate supply of water, it is also important that water be fit to drink. The 2002 State of the Environment Report noted that only 45% of reported groundwater contamination incidents have been "closed-out," due largely to State staf~rng limitations. The 200? USGS Study also found elevated radon in ground water samples that may warrant further study, along with more detailed sampling for organic contamination to more accurately assess the status of our ground water quality. To the extent that these hazards exist, it is urgent that the County ensure that its citizens are protected. Therefore, the Water Resources Initiative proposed the fallowing actions; A. Further Research on Elevated Radon Findings {ERCD, Health) One of the findings of the 2001 USGS cooperative study {"Investigation of Ground-Water Availability and Quality in Orange County, NC") was that in some areas of the County there were elevated levels of radon, a situation that could put residents of those areas at great risk. Of the total wells sampled, 67% of the radon analyses in the study exceeded the USEPA proposed maximum contaminant level {MCL) of 300 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). In addition, the 3 median activities of groundwater exceeded 300 pCi/L in 5 of the 7 hydrogeologic units that were sampled, and two other units of limited extent in the county were not sampled. Additional research and follow-up an these findings are of immediate and critical importance to citizens who live in the parts of the County most affected, and this action should not be delayed any longer.. B. Increased Sampling for Organic Contamination (ERCD, Health) In the aforementioned USGS Study of 2001, no organic contamination was found in the 51 well samples examined. But USGS also concluded that the sample size was small and findings were primarily from recently drilled wells. A larger sample may enable this to be explored to determine whether the study findings are validated in this area. Organic contamination such as BTEX (components of gasoline}, herbicides and pesticides can pose health risks to citizens who ingest water contaminated with these and other compounds. C. Inventory Ground-Water Contamination Incidents (ERCD, Health} Orange County should develop an inventory of ground-water contamination incidents based on county/statelfederal reports (NC DENR, USGS, EPA}. A site check could be conducted to verify locations and potential impacts on ground- water resources and nearby water sources (wells, springs} and surface waters (streams, rivers}. This could also include evaluations of topography, bedrock structure with regard to contaminant migration, and ground-water contamination plume development. A person performing this function could work with State and County Environmental Health staff an follow-up and review of remediation planning and site remediation. This function could also provide information to residentsldevelopers, county departments and other county officials about potential far contamination of existing wells or planned wells. Issue 3. Resource Evaluation, Public Service and Education There have been a number of occasions over the past decades when additional information provided by a County water resources expert would have provided useful data on water supplies, bath for local decisions-making and as a resource far the public. Thus, the Water Resources Initiative proposes that the County provide a valuable service to its citizens to full/ a need that is currently unmet, as outlined below, A. Well Siting and Construction (ERCD, Health, Planning, Engineer) Over the years, many questions have arisen about the best place to drill wells and about methods to maximize ground-water yield. While many of these questions are only answerable on a case-by-case basis due to the County's underlying geology, there is some information that can be made available to assist citizens in planning far new wells. A resource person to informlassist 4 citizens about sites and areas to drill wells could provide an important service to County citizens. B. Technical Assistance to Citizens, Departments and Boards (ERCD, Planning, Health, County Engineer, others} In addition to citizens, staff and boards have occasionally needed advice and assistance on groundwater quality and quantity questions for new development proposals. A mechanism to provide far expert review of plans far proposed public water supplies that will be ground water based would be helpful. This function could provide support to the Planning Department regarding the adequacy of recharge areas/lot sizes to support ground-water based supply in new developments. The basis for this evaluation would be the recharge analysis performed in the 1996 USGS report. To foster sustainable development, it is important that adequate recharge areas are available, because otherwise wells could ultimately fail. C. Ground-water Database Management and Analysis (ERCD, Health} The County has built a large database of information about wells constructed since 1996. However, information management and quality control/review of the ground water/well construction database is needed. This function could include site visits, if necessary, and periodical performance of statistical analyses and map distribution of well yields as the size and quality of the database increases. The USGS (2001 } study analyzed data from 649 wells. The County could use new data and a larger data set to further refine its estimates and maps. These new products would enhance the ability to perform item B (technical assistance} above, as well, and would be beneficial to both the public and to County departments. RECOMMENDATIONS The Commission for the Environment recommends that the Board of Commissioners consider and adopt the proposed Water Resources Initiative, and provide the support to implement the Initiative effectively.