Wellhead Protection Program
The
West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WVBPH) was designated by the
Governor as the lead agency responsible for the Wellhead Protection
Program (WHPP). West Virginia WHPP was approved the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency in 1992.
The
key to West Virginia's WHPP is the use of existing regulations affecting
ground water. The State has several programs currently in place to
protect ground water from potential sources of contamination. Some of
the programs are National Pollution Discharge elimination System (NPDES),
Underground Injection Control (UIC), Underground Storage Tank (UST),
Resource Conservation and Reclamation Act (RCRA), Solid Waste Management
and the Non-Point Source Program.
In
addition, in June 1991, the State of West Virginia enacted House Bill
2377, also known as the "Ground-Water Protection Act," to protect the
quality of the State ground water. All sources of contamination not
previously covered by regulations, are addressed by the Ground-Water
Protection Act.
Wellhead Protection consists of three major steps:
-
Delineating a Wellhead Area
- Area from which water could flow to the source within a five-year
time of travel. Area is determined using groundwater models,
available technical data and geological setting.
-
The potential contaminant source inventory
- Survey of past and present activities performed on all properties
within the WHPA to identify potential sources of contamination.
-
Management and Contingency Planning
- The development and implementation of both long and short-term
drinking water supply replacements strategies as well as plans to
reduce or eliminate potential threats.
The
West Virginia WHPP provides various services to the communities. These
includes:
-
Delineation of the
Wellhead Area of review the wellhead protection plans.
-
A review and
approval process for the Wellhead Protection Area.
-
Track the progress
at each community in the Wellhead Protection planning.
-
Technical support
for the management and contingency phases.
The
new 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act require each state to
develop a plan to assess the source water for all public water supply
systems - both surface and groundwater. West Virginia Bureau for Public
Health is currently developing a
Source Water Assessment Program
that will identify: 1. Delineate a source area for ground and surface
water systems, 2. Identify the potential contaminants sources within the
source area, 3. Determine each public water system's susceptibility to
contamination.
For more
information about the West Virginia WHPP please contact us at
304-356-4298,
e-mailing
SWAP staff, or writing to:
Bureau For Public Health
Office of Environmental Health Services
350 Capitol Street, room 313
Charleston, WV 25301-3713
