Michigan has 69 water supplies that use surface-water sources. They provide drinking water to over 60 percent of the state’s population, or about 6 million people. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) are cooperating on a project to assess community surface-water sources. Section 1453a of Public Law 104-182, reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996, requires Federal guidance and defines State requirements for a source water assessment program (SWAP). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published the State Source Water Assessment and Protection Programs Guidance in August 1997 to assist States in developing an acceptable SWAP. By statute, a state’s SWAP must complete assessments for all sources of public drinking water that (1) define source water areas, (2) list potential contaminant sources and contaminants of concern, and (3) determine source susceptibility to contamination. States must then work with public water suppliers to inform the public of these results. Results of the assessments will be presented in reports for each surface-water facility.
Inland lake and river intake assessments (9 supplies) are watershed based. The assessment process includes reviewing water quality monitoring records and identifying potential contaminant sources. Great Lakes and Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels intake assessments (60 supplies) will follow the “Assessment Protocol for Great Lakes Sources” developed by Great Lakes States in USEPA Region 5. Assessments will use local data on land use, contamination sources (sewer outfalls, leaking storage tanks, air deposition, etc.), information from local water plant personnel (intake construction and location, influent quality, effects of weather, lake currents, etc.), and centralized State and Federal data resources (Census data, permitted discharges). A pilot assessment completed for the Alpena, Michigan water supply showed potential influences to the intake from a nearby river, from atmospheric conditions, and from two storm-sewer outfalls. The preliminary Alpena assessment was received favorably by the community, and provides the basis of a source-water protection program for the community.
Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels intake assessments (13 supplies) will also use a two dimensional, hydrodynamic flow model of the St. Clair River – Lake St. Clair – Detroit River system. The flow model will define source water areas, track contaminant source water quality concerns, and assist in developing contingency plans. A partnership established among MDEQ, USGS, USEPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), with assistance from Environment Canada, will complete this model, and have received American Water Works Association Research Foundation funds to enhance the model’s contaminant tracking abilities.
On a national scale, USEPA guidelines explicitly require involving the public in the SWAP process, and in the release of completed assessments. USEPA, the States, public water suppliers, and other stakeholders throughout the country are developing a National Source Water Protection Strategy. This strategy includes a coordinated effort between Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act programs to benefit the protection of watersheds and sources of public drinking water, and to benefit future programs and local source-water protection efforts. A goal of the Michigan SWAP is that greater public awareness of source water issues will result in local sourcewater protection initiatives that will protect drinking water while improving watershed protection. Communities can use source water assessments to develop source water protection programs that incorporate watershed management plans and best management practices. MDEQ will use source water assessments to determine future public water supply contaminant monitoring waivers.
Conference
Water Environment Federation Specialty Conference: WATERSHED 2002, 23-27 February 2002, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Publication
Sweat, M.J., Brogren, B.B., Jodoin, R.S.,
Loerop, M.W., and Rachol, C.M., Michigan’s Source Water Assessment Program – Surface Water Assessments
Leading to Protection Initiatives, Water Environment Federation Specialty Conference: WATERSHED 2002, 23-27 February 2002, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
1U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, 6520 Mercantile Way, Suite 5, Lansing, MI, 48911-6957, 2Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Drinking Water and Radiological Protection Division, P.O. Box 30473, Lansing, MI, 48909-7973.
Back to USGS, WRD Michigan Home Page
U.S. Department of the
Interior, U.S. Geological
Survey
Maintainer: Webmaster
<gs-w-milns_webmaster@usgs.gov>
Updated On: Wednesday, June 27, 2001
Privacy Statement ||
Disclaimer
URL: http://mi.water.usgs.gov/reports/Sweat4.html