June 26, 2007
Town of Goshen PowerPoint Presentation - Water Emergency and Long Term Solution
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January 11, 2007
Lead and Copper Rule Monitoring Summary for Various Size Categories of Waterworks
September 11, 2006
Effective January 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency adopted two new rules. The first is the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule which addresses new criteria for determining compliance with TTHM/HAA5. The second is the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule which addresses new treatment techniques for reducing the levels of Cryptosporidium in drinking water. To protect the public's health and to assist local waterworks, the Office of Drinking Water has taken the lead in the early implementation of these rules in Virginia.
ODW Field Offices are working closely with waterworks who will need to conduct special testing to meet the requirements of these rules. The Field Offices are evaluating the waterworks monitoring plans required by the rules and advising EPA when they are approved. In addition these rules allow the state to issue waivers for some of the required testing and the Field Offices are fully evaluating all of the affected waterworks to determine which ones are eligible for the waiver.
The effective implementation of theses rules will improve water quality by balancing the risks from microbial pathogens and providing additional public health protection from disinfection byproducts.
September 7, 2006
Beginning in September 2005, the Town of Big Stone Gap in Wise County experienced a severe shortage of water in its mountain-top raw water supply, the Big Cherry reservoir. The shortage, which by the end of September left the Town with only 30 million gallons of water in the 622 million gallon reservoir, was a result of a new dam construction project that required the Town to maintain a low water level behind the old dam. Unfortunately, the new dam was completed about the time dry weather started.
Continuation of dry weather conditions and failure to secure additional sources of potable water would have had severe consequences for the Town and its water customers. Faced with a dwindling supply, the Town’s initial plans called for ceasing water service to selected residential areas. As water supply continued to decrease, plans called for water service to cease to Mountain Empire Community College and the local schools. Eventually, water service would not have been available anywhere in Town and the population would need to be evacuated to locations with suitable supplies of potable water or would live in unsanitary conditions. Needless to say, time was of the essence.
As a first step to cope with the emergency, the Town reduced water production from the normal 2.3 million gallons per day (MGD) to 1.6 MGD by implementing mandatory water conservation measures, engaging in a leak detection and repair program, and purchasing water from the neighboring Duffield and Pennington Gap waterworks. Staff from the Office of Drinking Water Abingdon Field Office provided valuable assistance to the Town in reducing the demand on their water plant. However, with these measures alone, the Big Cherry reservoir would have only lasted until about mid-October.
It was obvious that the Town would have to supplement its water supply from other sources. Therefore, with technical assistance from ODW and financial assistance from the Governor’s office, the Town purchased two portable membrane filter water treatment plants and began treating 0.5 MGD from the Powell River as the Big Cherry Reservoir went dry. To fully meet the Town’s water demand, pumps and waterlines had to be installed to deliver water from surrounding waterworks into the Big Stone Gap system.
In early January 2006, close to 100 days after the emergency was declared, the Town’s water crisis was officially over. With the Big Cherry reservoir holding nearly 200 million gallons, the Town lifted all water use restrictions and turned off their emergency membrane treatment plants and their emergency connections to neighboring water systems. With the efforts of the Town, the cooperation of surrounding localities, and the assistance from VDH ODW, a public health crisis was avoided.
July 17, 2006
Boil Water Advisories During Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters Guidance for Waterworks