HELLO AGAIN!

Welcome to the Fall 1998 issue of the Wisconsin Wellhead Protection News. The Department has upgraded its wellhead protection Web site. You are invited to visit the new and improved Web site: www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/dwg/gw/whp.htm.

I want to thank all of you who filled out and returned the questionnaire regarding the Source Water Assessment Program in the spring newsletter. We got responses from a broad cross section of water supply officials, local government representatives, well drillers and pump installers. Your input was helpful in deciding how Wisconsin should design and implement certain parts of the Source Water Assessment Program. Based on comments we received, we propose to spend more effort on the groundwater than the surface water delineations.

This newsletter follows the format of the last newsletter in that the first two pages contain information on the groundwater portion of the Source Water Assessment Program. The third page contains a questionnaire which I invite you to fill out and return using the postage-paid mailer. Pages 3 and 4 can be cut or torn from pages 1 and 2 and returned as a mailer. Just fold in thirds so that the business reply address shows and your address doesn't show. Then staple or tape the sheet before mailing it. No stamp is necessary. Please return your responses by December 18, 1998. Thanks for giving us your ideas about how this important program should proceed. Your input is important to assist the Department in preparing Wisconsin's plan for submittal to EPA next February.

The following discussion describes draft plans by the DNR to characterize the groundwater resource, to develop a method for determining the susceptibility of public supplies, and to make assessments available to the public.

SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT PROGRAM UPDATE

The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) require states to develop and implement a Source Water Assessment Program made up of the following requirements:

delineate source water assessment area boundaries for all public water systems;

inventory existing and potential sources of contamination within those boundaries;

analyze the susceptibility of the water systems to the contaminants; and

make the assessments available to the public.

Wisconsin and other states must have an EPA-approved Source Water Assessment Program plan in order to issue permanent monitoring waivers. Wisconsin has until February 1999 to submit a Source Water Assessment Program plan for approval by EPA that must describe how our state will complete each of the required elements listed above for all groundwater and surface water public systems. This includes the 1100+ community wells, the nearly 11,000 non-community wells and the 20 surface water systems in Wisconsin. The goal of this program is to use the assessments to work to protect Wisconsin's public water supplies through prevention strategies, especially those public water supplies most vulnerable to contamination.

Resource Characterization - Groundwater Systems In order to assess the effectiveness of source water area delineations for groundwater systems and to complete advanced delineations where appropriate, well construction data must be gathered and hydrogeologic investigations will need to be completed. The purpose for conducting resource characterization is to obtain an understanding of the aquifer and each well's general physical characteristics. We propose that resource characterizations be conducted in four ways:

1)  gather well construction reports for all public water supply wells (Well construction reports give geologic, and well construction information needed to evaluate the susceptibility of the well and other wells in the area. Despite the importance of these reports, they are commonly not on file, particularly for older noncommunity wells. The DNR proposes to locate well construction reports for as many public wells as feasible in a two-year time period.); 2) support the collection of regional geologic data needed to understand groundwater flow in these settings (See list of factors being considered for susceptibility determinations below); 3) support regional groundwater modeling studies in regions where high concentrations of municipal water systems are located; and 4) support funding and/or assist conducting advanced delineations for municipal systems. The results of the resource characterization analysis will be used to evaluate the sensitivity of the source water to the contaminants and the vulnerability of each well to contamination.

Groundwater System Susceptibility Analysis Wisconsin's existing Vulnerability Assessment program will be the basis of this component of the Source Water Assessment Program. The Vulnerability Assessment program was developed in 1992 to eliminate unnecessary costly monitoring and is performed for all community and nontransient noncommunity public water systems every three years. The assessment consists of an inventory of potential sources of contamination within a delineated area and an evaluation of well construction, pesticide susceptibility, industrial chemical use and vulnerability to volatile organic compounds, ethylene dibromide, asbestos and coal tar. The inventory list of potential sources of contamination was expanded for the Source Water Assessment Program. Vulnerability assessments are being conducted on the following schedule: 1998 - municipal systems; 1999 - other than municipal systems; 2000 - nontransient noncommunity systems. Vulnerability assessments are not currently required for transient noncommunity systems.

The State is considering expanding the range of factors considered in the vulnerability assessment process for the susceptibility analysis. The following factors are being considered for susceptibility determinations and subsequent vulnerability assessments:

1.  thickness and continuity of confining unit

2.  depth to bedrock

3.  type of bedrock (not for wells screened in unconsolidated formations)

4.  depth to water table

5.  permeability of soil/surficial deposits

6.  presence of naturally occurring inorganics or radionuclides in geologic units

7.  number of significant potential sources of contamination of all types within source water protection area

8.  number of microbial contaminant sources within 200 feet of well

9.  proximity of well to surface water and degree of groundwater/surface water connection

10.  compliance with NR 811/812 construction requirements

11.  age of well (i.e. condition of casing) and

12.  water quality monitoring data

The susceptibility analysis will be reported to the owner/operator of each system in a narrative format describing the hydrogeologic setting and the system integrity, summarizing the significant potential sources of contamination and water quality data, and suggesting management activities. A more limited approach that primarily focuses on pathogens and nitrate will be used for determining the susceptibility of transient noncommunity wells. The strategy is based on the premise that one or more of the following conditions must be present for a system not to be susceptible:

• Geological barriers
• Hydraulic conditions related to pumping, well construction, and aquifer composition
• Absence of potential sources of pathogens and nitrate in the recharge area

Where well construction reports are not available a well must not have any potential sources of pathogen or nitrate in the recharge area to be described as "not susceptible". Where insufficient information exists to make the above determination, area-wide assessments relying on non-well-specific data, e.g. several well construction reports for nearby wells indicating a shallow, continuous confining layer will be done.

Sharing Assessment Results Once assessments are complete, the DNR is to make the information available to the public. The following information will be available: - A map for each well or intake or group of community wells or intakes showing the source water protection area delineated for each well or intake and the location of existing or potential contaminant sources within each source water protection area. - A contaminant inventory list which identifies the types of potential contaminant sources within each source water protection area. - A description of the methodology used to evaluate the susceptibility of each public water supply system. - A susceptibility analysis for each public water supply system well or intake. The key question is how best to present this information. You can direct any questions, comments or suggestions regarding the Source Water Assessment Program to Jeff Helmuth - DG/2, Wisconsin DNR, P. O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921. Phone: phone: 608-266-5234. Fax: 608-267-7650. Email address: helmuj@dnr.state.wi.us We also invite you to visit the DNRs Groundwater Section Web site (http:/www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/dwg/gw/whp.htm) for information on wellhead and source water protection.

SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Is there any available information besides well construction reports that would be useful for assessing the susceptibility of each well? If so, please explain. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Please provide any comments you have regarding the factors being considered for development of a susceptibility analysis methodology. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Please check the most important way(s) the DNR should publish the results of the assessments. If you think more than one way is important, number them with 1 being your top choice.

____ a report for each public water supply system describing the vulnerability to specific contaminants and providing a susceptibility analysis for each public water system

____ a report for all the public water supply systems in a county describing the vulnerability to specific contaminants and providing a susceptibility analysis for each public water system in the county

____ a map showing the source water protection area or areas and potential contaminant sources for each public water system

____ an internet site

____ other _______________________________

4. Please check the most important way(s) the DNR should notify the public of the availability of the results of the assessments. If you think more than one way is important, number them with 1 being your top choice.

____ television

____radio

____newspapers

____internet

____informational meetings

____presentations to local organizations

____press release

____other ____________________

5. Check the box the best describes your affiliation:

____ public water supply

____ consulting firm

____ county

____ regional planning commission

____ other local government

____ state government

____ other ________________

6. Name and affiliation (optional) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for answering these questions.