Introduction

        The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WVBPH) was designated by the Governor as the lead agency responsible for the Wellhead Protection Program (WHPP). The WVBPH has the authority from the Legislature, according to West Virginia Code, Section 16-1-9a "... to protect and prevent contamination of wellheads and well fields used by public water supplies so that contaminants do not reach a level which adversely affect the health of the consumer". 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 additional information on West Virginia WHPP, visit links on this page, or contact the WVBPH by calling 304-558-2981,e-mailing WHPP staff, or writing to :

Bureau For Public Health
Office of Environmental Health Services
815 Quarrier Street, Suite 418
Charleston, West Virginia 25301-2616

More information about the purpose of the W.V. WHPP is also available on the "Why does W.V. need a Wellhead Protection Program?" page.

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West Virginia Wellhead Protection Delineation

        The primary role of the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WVBPH) concerning the Wellhead Protection Program (WHPP) is to provide delineation of the Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPAs) for public water supply owners. The term "Wellhead Protection Area" (WHPA) means the surface and subsurface area surrounding a water well or well field, supplying a public water system, through which contaminants are reasonably likely to move toward and reach such a water well or well field (Sec.1428 (e), Safe Drinking Water Act").

        The WVBPH delineates a Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA) from the well and hydro geologic data supplied for each water well or well field and returns a map outlining the required area to protect. A copy of this information is sent to all ground-water regulating agencies for all public water supplies with a ground-water source. All regulatory agencies then provide the WVBPH with the location of the known regulated activities under its jurisdiction with the WHPA.

        The first step in the delineation of WHPAs is to determine the appropriate delineation method(s) for each hydrogeologic environment.

1. The following criteria will be used for the development of delineation zones for use in the State's six hydrogeologic environments: (Map of hydrogeologic environments).
   1. Alluvial Valley Areas
   2. Appalachian Plateau Province
   3. Folded Plateau Area
   4. Limestone Areas
   5. Valley and Ridge Province
   6. Coal-mine Areas

   Time of Travel
   The minimum time of travel (TOT) to be applied for each water supply is five (5) years for all geologic settings. This is the principle criterion of all wellhead protection areas (WHPA's). The 5 year TOT, in some cases, will yield WHPAs with extremely large areas due to geologic anomalies, for example, karst areas involving major faults. In such cases, flow boundaries will be employed as the alternate criterion to delineate the WHPA.

   Flow Boundaries
   Flow boundaries are based on determining the locations of ground-water divides and /or other physical/hydrologic features that control ground water flow. Flow boundaries are used to delineate the maximum potential zone of contribution to a well. The flow boundaries that will be used are topographic and local ground water divides for smaller aquifers, and regional ground-water divides larger aquifers.

   In addition, flow boundaries are examined using pumping-recharge relationships. Boundaries based on the relationship of pumping to recharge depend on the area that may be influenced by pumping and the area needed to recharge the well field. These boundaries are determined by comparing the quantity of ground water that is pumped form a particular well or well field to the quantity that is recharged to the portion of the aquifer system that is contributing water to the well or well field. The criteria of transmissivity and storage coefficient values developed from well pumping test are two of the relationships investigated in detail by WVBPH during the evaluation of an application for the appropriation and use of ground water.
   
   

1. Delineation Methods

   The following Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods were selected for WHPA delineations:

   Analytical Methods
   WHPA's are delineated by analytical methods that use equations to define ground water flow and contaminant transport. WHPA's are delineated using a specified TOT criterion, or flow boundaries criteria. The uniform flow equation can be used to define the zone of contribution to a pumping well in a sloping water table.

   The advantage of this method is that it takes into account the site specific hydrogeologic parameters of transmissivity, effective porosity, hydraulic gradient, hydraulic conductivity and saturated thickness of the aquifer.

   Hydrogeologic Mapping
   WHPAs delineated by using the above mentioned methods may be modified based on other hydrogeologic data. Hydrogeologic data can be used to identify flow boundaries which may be indicated by lithologic changes, piezometric and /or water table contours, amount of recharge of permeability contrasts within an aquifer. Hydrogeologic mapping is especially well suited to sedimentary bedrock aquifer settings, fractured bedrock, coal mines, karst and carbonate rock (limestone) terrains of West Virginia.

   Geologic Settings and Methodology

   Additional information needed for each geologic setting to delineate wellhead protection areas (WHPAs) are as follows:

   • Alluvial Valley Areas: depth to bedrock, stratigraphic analysis of screen information, depth to water table, static water level of all wells, topographic analysis of river normal pool level, unusual or special conditions, recharge area and maximum recorded annual rainfall for recharge area.

     The analytical method, i.e.,the computer model (WHPA Code), with time of travel of five years and boundary conditions are used to produce the WHPA in the alluvial valleys.

     The WHPA Code is employed to define the upstream, downstream limits. The valley wall and stream boundaries encloses the WHPA.
     
     

   • Appalachian Plateau Province and Folded Plateau: an inventory of locations of oil and gas wells, static water level, lithology, structure (Strike and dip), topographic analysis (Surface features), fractures, limestone influences, unusual or special conditions, faults, well depth, recharge area and maximum recorded annual rainfall for recharge area and lineaments.

     Five year TOT and flow boundaries are used to determine the extent of the protection area. Topographic analysis for recharge areas will limit the WHPA with due consideration of the additional parameters listed above.
     
     

   • Folded Plateau: an inventory of locations of oil and gas wells, point and non-point sources of contamination, static water level, lithology, structure (strike and dip), topography (surface features), fractures, limestone influences, unusual or special conditions, faults, well depth, recharge area and maximum recorded annual rainfall for recharge area and lineaments.

     Five year TOT and flow boundaries are used to determine the extent of the protection area. Topography analysis for recharge areas limits the WHPA with due consideration of the additional parameters listed above.
     
     

   • Limestone Areas: topographic terrain analysis, dye tracing, cave maps/cave networks/fracture channels, subsurface gradient, sinkholes, unusual or special conditions, faults, cleavage, lineaments, fractures, recharge area and maximum recorded annual rainfall for recharge area.

     Five year TOT and flow boundaries are used to determine the extent of the protection area. Hydrogeologic mapping is used with additional parameters listed above.
     
     

   • Valley and Ridge Province: lithology, structure (strike and dip), topography (surface features), fractures, limestone influences, unusual or special conditions, faults, recharge area and maximum recorded annual rainfall for recharge area and lineaments.

     Five year TOT flow boundaries are used to determine the extent of the protection area. Hydrogeologic mapping is used with the additional parameters listed above.
     
     

   • Coal Mine Areas: outline of coal mine with mine map or maps, structure contours, coal seams, well depth, topography, cleat direction, recharge area, maximum recorded rainfall for recharge area, lineaments, volume of coal extracted from each seam, and unusual or special conditions.

     The mined extent of the coal seam overlaid on the structure contour map projected onto the surface topography map produces the wellhead protection area with consideration give to the additional parameters listed above.

   The determination of WHPAs for each geologic setting is subject to revision as information becomes available.
   
   

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Wellhead Protection Area Inventory

Section 1428(a) (3) of the Safe Drinking Water Act specifies that State programs "shall, at a minimum, ... identify with each wellhead protection area all sources of contaminants which may have any adverse effect on the health of persons." An inventory of past and present land uses and a projection of planned futures uses is essential for development of an effective wellhead protection program.

There are numerous and varied potential source of groundwater contamination. The WVBPH has compiled an inventory of potential source of ground-water contamination and divided these into four categories. In addition, either is the possibility of a number of uncontrolled potential sources such as improper disposal of paints, cleaning fluids, oil, varnishes, etc., on private property by homeowners, small businesses, contractors, etc. WVBPH will work with local communities to encourage proper and safe disposal of these sources and to provide best management practices.

The WVBPH will require each public water supply to notify the WVBPH of any potential sources of contamination activity with in their WHPA and to update and monitor the potential sources of contamination activity with their WHPAs.

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Wellhead Protection Area Management and Contingency Planning

Aside from the existing programs designed to regulate potential sources of contamination, additional control measures developed through the participation of local authorities may be necessary within each WHPA. Some of the tools that may be used to develop/additional control measures are: site plan review, operating standards, public education and site monitoring and inspection. Inter-jurisdictional arrangements may be necessary in order to implement a protection strategy that takes into account property and development rights. The WVBPH will review local regulations and suggest modifications to implement source management in WHPAs. The review of local regulations is coordinated throughout the various programs of WVBPH to insure consistency with the many different regulatory programs.

Contingency Plans

1. Introduction
   Contingency plans under the WHPP are designed to provide suppliers of ground water with a plan of action in the event that a public water-supply well becomes contaminated or is threatened by contamination. The plans must address locating alternate supplies and delivering those supplies to the users. Treatment of existing water supplies should also be considered as a viable option.
   
   
2. Existing Emergency Plan Provisions
   The Safe Drinking Water Act subsection 1413 (b) (5) as adopted by West Virginia Public Water Supply Regulations, Title 64 Series 3, 1991, require emergency plan provisions to assure adequate, safe drinking water for human survival. The WVBPH shall provide the necessary assistance to enable the provision of an emergency supply of water to affected citizenry. The assistance shall include notifications of the emergency need to the West Virginia Office of Emergency Services, County emergency service officials, and appraisal of the particular situation through contact with local health department personnel. The regulations also require the suppliers of water to public water systems to submit for approval to WVBPH a plan for providing a safe and adequate drinking water supply under emergency conditions.

   West Virginia has a statewide emergency response plan as required under SARA Title III, to respond to threats from hazardous releases into the air, water or land. In addition, the plan also provides the public with information about the hazardous substances are being stored and released into their communities. This emergency response plan is reviewed annually and revisions made, if necessary.
   
   

3. WHPP Contingency Plans
   Under the WHPP, each public drinking water supply owner will be responsible for submitting their own contingency plans to the WVBPH for evaluation as part of the local program. Each water supply will have specific need which will be addressed in their contingency plan' however, certain general requirements must be included in the contingency plans, as follows:
   1. Water supply characteristics: Supply name/Identification number, water demands, water well yields, layout of distribution systems, storage capacity, etc.
   2. Alternate water supply in case of shortage.
   3. Long-term water supply.
   4. Contact names and phone numbers in case of emergency for water supply operator and state and local contacts.
   5. Financial considerations in case of contamination/emergency, (i.e. well replacement, remediation).

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to the program or the webmaster.