drinking water source assessment for the city of avon lake · residential wells or cisterns. in...

Drinking Water Source Assessmentfor the City of Avon LakeSUMMARY

Source Water Assessment andProtection. The following report for theCity of Avon Lake was compiled as partof the Source Water Assessment andProtection Program for Ohio. Thisprogram is intended to identify drinkingwater protection areas and provideinformation on how to reduce the risk ofcontamination of the waters within thoseareas. The goal of the program is toensure the long term availability ofabundant and safe drinking water for thepresent and future citizens of Ohio.

The Safe Drinking Water ActAmendments of 1996 established thenational Source Water Assessment andProtection Program, targeting drinkingwater sources for all public watersystems in the United States. A publicwater system is a facility that providesdrinking water to 15 or more serviceconnections or that regularly serves atleast 25 people a day for at least 60days a year, whether from anunderground well or spring, or from anabove ground stream, lake, or reservoir. The requirement does not addressresidential wells or cisterns. In Ohiothere are approximately 5,800 publicwater systems.

Background. The City of Avon Lakeoperates a community public watersystem that serves a total population of140,000 people, approximately 18,100of which are in the city limits and servedby 6,305 service connections. Thewater treatment system obtains its waterfrom Lake Erie. Plant design capacity is36.0 million gallons per day. Satellitewater systems connected to the Avon

Lake distribution system include Avon,Sheffield, Medina County, and the RuralLorain County Water Authority.

Protection Areas. The drinking watersource protection area for the surfacewater source is shown in the followingfigure. This report includes the resultsof an inventory of all known or identifiedpotential contaminant sources within thedrinking water protection area. Theinventory was conducted by Ohio EPAwith the assistance of the Avon LakeWater System staff. Threats to LakeErie include contamination frommunicipal wastewater treatmentdischarges, industrial waste waterdischarges, home sewage disposalsystem discharges, air contaminationdeposition, combined sewer overflows,runoff from residential, agricultural andurban areas, oil and gas production andtransportation, and accidental releasesand spills from rail and vehicular trafficas well as from commercial shippingoperations and recreational boating.

Protective Strategies. The ultimategoal of source water assessment isimplementation of protective strategiesthat will better protect the drinking watersource. Strategies for protecting theCity of Avon Lake drinking water sourceinclude the establishment (with routineupdating) of an effective and efficientemergency response plan as well as aplan to educate the responsible partiesof potential contaminant sources if onedoes not currently exist. Routine intakemonitoring and consultation with U.S.Coast Guard officials regardingresponse to threats from spills and other

sources are recommended. The AvonLake Water System contingency planshould be updated as necessary. According to the Ohio Lake ErieCommission (1998), Lake Erie is anexceptional source of high qualitydrinking water. In order to protect thisexceptional source, an extensive andcoordinated Lake Erie biological andwater quality monitoring system shouldbe implemented by local, state andfederal agencies.

Future development and a change inland use practices may impact theecological health of the Lake Eriewatershed. This valuable water systemshould be protected to avoid furtherdegradation of water quality by pointand non-point contamination sourcessuch as those listed above. Localwatershed planning efforts may also beunderway to guide stream restorationand protection activities. These effortscan also serve to benefit the protectionof drinking water sources. Additionalmanagement measures are underwayfor Lake Erie through the LakewideManagement Plan and Remedial ActionPlan programs. More information canbe obtained at the Ohio EPA districtoffices in Bowling Green and Twinsburg.

Guidance on how to form a DrinkingWater Protection Team and protectionplan is available from Ohio EPA bycalling (614) 644-2752.

For More Information. Additionalinformation on protective strategies andhow this assessment was completed isincluded in the detailed Drinking WaterSource Assessment Report for the Cityof Avon Lake. For information on howto obtain a copy of this report, pleasevisit Ohio EPA’s Source WaterAssessment and Protection ProgramWeb page at http://www.epa.state.oh.us/ ddagw/pdu/swap.html or contact the Cityof Avon Lake for a copy.

Current information on the quality of thetreated water supplied by the Avon LakePublic Water System is available in theConsumer Confidence Report (CCR) forthe Avon Lake Public Water System. The CCR is distributed annually andreports the most current detectedcontaminants and any associated healthrisks from data collected during the pastfive years. Consumer ConfidenceReports are available from the City ofAvon Lake.

Summary Figure – City of Avon Lake Drinking Water Source Protection Area,Critical Assessment Zone (CAZ)

1

Drinking Water Source Assessment

for the City of Avon Lake

Public Water System #4700311

Lorain County

Prepared by:Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

Division of Surface WaterDivision of Drinking and Ground Waters

Northeast District Office

October, 2002

1

How to Use this Assessment

Clean and safe drinking water is essential to everyone. Protecting the source ofdrinking water is a wise and cost effective investment. The purpose of this drinkingwater source assessment is to provide information your community can use to developa local Drinking Water Protection Program. The Drinking Water Source Assessmentbenefits your community by providing the following:

A basis for focusing limited resources within the community to protect thedrinking water source(s).

The assessment provides your community with information regarding activitieswithin the Drinking Water Source Protection Area that directly affect your watersupply source area. It is within this area that a release of contaminants, from aspill or improper usage, may travel through the watershed and reach the surfacewater intake. By examining where the source waters are most sensitive tocontaminants, and where potential contaminants are located, the assessmentidentifies the potential risks that should be addressed first.

A basis for informed decision-making regarding land use within the community.The assessment provides your community with a significant amount ofinformation regarding where your drinking water comes from (the source) andwhat the risks are to the quality of that source. This information allows yourcommunity planning authorities to make informed decisions regarding proposedland uses within the protection area that are compatible with both your drinkingwater resource and the vision of growth embraced by your community.

A start to a comprehensive plan for the watershed and source water area.This assessment can be the beginning of a comprehensive plan for the waterresource, one that addresses all of the uses the water resource provides. Anecologically healthy lake, stream and watershed will provide a stable, high qualityresource for drinking water.

For information about developing a local Drinking Water Source Protection Program,please contact the Ohio EPA Division of Drinking and Ground Waters at (614) 644-2752 or visit the Division’s web site athttp://www.epa.state.oh.us/ddagw/pdu/swap.html.

2

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act established a program for statesto assess the drinking water source for all public water systems. The Source WaterAssessment and Protection (SWAP) Program is designed to help Ohio’s public watersystems protect their sources of drinking water from becoming contaminated.

The purpose of this assessment is to identify where and how the City of Avon Lake’ssource water is at risk of contamination. The report • identifies the drinking water source protection area, or the SWAP area, which is

the Critical Assessment Zone (CAZ), • examines the characteristics and water quality of the lake and watershed,• identifies the potential contaminant sources within the CAZ and areas near the

water plant, and evaluates impacts associated with shipping and dredgingoperations, and

• discusses the susceptibility of the source water to contamination.

Finally, the report suggests actions that the public water supplier and local communitiesmay take to reduce the risk of contaminating this source of drinking water and ensurethe long term availability of abundant and safe drinking water resources.

Results and recommendations presented in this report are based on the informationavailable at the time of publication. Ohio EPA recognizes that additional informationmay become available in the future that could be used to more accurately determine thedrinking water source protection area. Also, changes in land use may occur after OhioEPA completes the potential contaminant source inventory. This report should be usedas a starting point to develop a plan to protect drinking water resources. Ohio EPA isnot responsible or liable for interpretations or decisions based on this report.

This report was written by Ted Conlin, Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water, NortheastDistrict Office.

2.0 PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

The City of Avon Lake operates a community public water system that serves a totalpopulation of 140,000 people, approximately 18,100 of which are in the city limits andserved by 6,305 service connections. A community public water system is a systemthat regularly supplies drinking water from its own sources to at least 15 serviceconnections used by year-round residents of the area or regularly serves 25 or morepeople throughout the entire year. The Avon Lake Water System also supplies water tothe satellite systems of Avon, Sheffield, Medina County, and the Rural Lorain CountyWater Authority.

Surface water from Lake Erie is used as source water for the treatment plant. The AvonLake Water System has three intakes. Source water is obtained from the eastern 54-inch and the western 36-inch intakes. The eastern 54-inch intake was constructed in

3

1992. The western 36-inch intake was constructed in 1960 and modified in 1989(potassium permanganate feed added) and 1990 (copper cladding added). Both intakestructures are inspected and cleaned yearly.

An older 24-inch auxiliary intake is not being used and, according to water treatmentpersonnel, there are no plans to use this intake. This older intake is therefore notincluded in this source water assessment. If this intake is to be utilized in the future, asource water assessment should be developed for this source location.

Water treatment processes include chemical addition, sedimentation, rapid sandfiltration, fluoridation and chlorination prior to distribution. Plant design capacity is 36.0million gallons per day. The City provides an average of 15.7 million gallons of finishedwater per day.

3.0 DELINEATION OF PROTECTION AREAS

To provide some continuity for assessing the protection areas of systems using theGreat Lakes as a source, the concept of a Critical Assessment Zone (CAZ) around eachintake was developed (Great Lakes States Workgroup, August 17, 2000). The drinkingwater source protection area for a Great Lakes system is defined as the area withinthe CAZ for that system’s intakes.

The CAZ is a circular area whose radius is based on two factors: (1) perpendiculardistance from shore, or length of the intake pipeline (L) in feet; and (2) the water depth(D) of the structure in feet. The shallower, near-shore intakes are more sensitive toshoreline influences than the offshore, deep intakes. The factor for sensitivity (S) canbe calculated by the formula: LxD=S. Generally, S values less than 25,000 representhighly sensitive intakes while S values greater than 125,000 indicate lower sensitivities. With information provided by the Avon Lake Water System personnel, the depths anddistances from shore of the intake structures were determined. The western 36-inchintake is 25 feet deep with a perpendicular distance from shore of 2,000 feet. Theeastern 54-inch intake is 30 feet deep with a perpendicular distance from shore of 2,200feet. The S value for western intake was calculated to be 50,000. The S value for theeastern intake was calculated to be 66,000. According to Assessment Protocol, Svalues between 25,000 and 125,000 indicate a moderate sensitivity and call for a 2,000-foot radius area around the intake to be designated the Critical Assessment Zone. SeeFigure 1 for the location and delineation of the water intake structures and therespective Critical Assessment Zones for the Avon Lake Public Water System.

The Avon Lake Water System intakes are located east of the mouth of the Black River. With the typical weather patterns and Lake Erie flow, the water from the Black Riverenters the lake at Lorain and tends to hug the Lake Erie shoreline. The Black River hasbeen designated as an Area of Concern because of the legacy of pollution fromindustrial activity along the mainstem. A Remedial Action Plan exists for the restorationof beneficial uses in the Black River. In addition, Powdermaker Ditch, which crosses anindustrial area south of Avon Lake, drains towards the lake in the vicinity of the CAZ.

4

4.0 HYDROLOGIC SETTING

Drinking Water Quality MonitoringAvailable chemical and biological water quality data collected from the streams in theprotection area, and sampling results from finished water reported to Ohio EPA by thepublic water supplier were evaluated to characterize water quality. A review of the Cityof Avon Lake compliance monitoring data from 1991-2002 revealed that the system hadno health based or maximum contaminant level (MCL) violations. Table 1 listscontaminants where at least one result was above the level of detection and does notinclude all contaminants tested for by the public water system.

It should also be recognized that sampling results presented in this report can onlyprovide information on the quality of the water at the time the sample was collected. Water quality may change over time due to a number of reasons. Therefore, it isrecommended the reader consult the most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)for the City of Avon Lake Water System. All community public water systems arerequired to annually prepare and distribute the CCR to their customers. This report is agood source of information on health effects associated with detected contaminants. The reports contain information on the community’s drinking water, including the sourceof the water, contaminants detected, the likely sources of detected contaminants, andthe potential health effects of contaminants at levels above the drinking waterstandards.

Biological and Chemical MonitoringWater plant personnel monitor the Lake Erie source water for alkalinity, turbidity, pH,solids, total organic carbon, hardness, and metals. Slight raw water increases inturbidity, solids, and hardness are associated with seasonal variations (lake turnover)and severe weather patterns. From July 1997 to January 1999, Avon Lake WaterSystem conducted monthly Cryptosporidium testing and never detected its presence inthe source water.

For the past decade or more, water and biological quality monitoring of Lake Erie watershas not occurred on a regular basis. Although the 2000 Lake Erie LakewideManagement Plan has determined there are no use impairments to the drinking water, itdoes state that Lake Erie is in a state of flux and there is a distinct need for biologicaland water quality monitoring of the waters. It is recommended that state or federalagencies institute a coordinated long-term biological and water quality monitoringprogram or strategy in order to recognize current and future changes in the Lake Erieecosystem that may impact source water quality.

5.0 POTENTIAL CONTAMINANT SOURCES

A review of available regulated facility data bases and a field survey of the CAZ andareas near the Avon Lake Water Plant indicate that 14 potential contaminant sources

5

are present near the drinking water source protection area (CAZ). Table 2 provides alist of the identified potential contaminant sources. The location of these potentialsources is shown in Figure 2.

It is important to note that this inventory represents potential contaminant sources, andincludes any source that has the potential to release a contaminant to surface waters inthe CAZ. It is beyond the scope of this study to determine whether any specificpotential source is actually releasing a contaminant, or to what extent any potentialsource(s) may be contributing to the overall pollutant load.

The Lake Erie nearshore areas have multiple land uses, all of which have componentsthat could potentially degrade the water quality of Avon Lake’s source water, includingurban, suburban and rural storm water runoff, new construction site activities, river bankand lake shoreline erosion. As development of the Lake Erie nearshore areasincreases, more land will be paved. This will increase both volume and force of runoffand increase the potential for contamination from land use activities.

The transportation network is a potential source of contamination through vehicularaccidents that release hazardous materials. The transportation network near the waterplant is shown in Figure 2.

6.0 SUSCEPTIBILITY ANALYSIS

For the purposes of source water assessments, all surface waters are considered to besusceptible to contamination. By their nature surface waters are accessible and can bereadily contaminated by chemicals and pathogens with relatively short travel times fromsource to the intake. Based on the information compiled for this assessment, the AvonLake Water System drinking water source protection area (CAZ) is susceptible tocontamination from municipal waste water treatment discharges, industrial waste waterdischarges, air contamination deposition, combined sewer overflows, runoff fromresidential, agricultural and urban areas, oil and gas production and transportation, andaccidental releases and spills from rail and vehicular traffic as well as from commercialshipping operations and recreational boating.

It is important to note that this assessment is based on available data, and thereforemay not reflect current conditions in all cases. Water quality, land uses and otheractivities that are potential sources of contamination may change with time. While thesource water for the City of Avon Lake is considered susceptible to contamination,historically, the Avon Lake Public Water System has effectively treated this sourcewater to meet drinking water quality standards.

7.0 PROTECTIVE STRATEGIES

Source water protection efforts in the City of Avon Lake’s drinking water sourceprotection area (CAZ) and areas near the water plant should be directed toward theestablishment of an effective and efficient emergency response plan as well as a plan toeducate the responsible parties of potential contaminant sources if one does not

6

currently exist.

Informing people who live, work, or own property within your protection area about thebenefits of drinking water protection is very important. Although some communitiesdevelop their own educational outreach resources, assistance is available at no costfrom various agencies. For example, staff from Ohio EPA’s Office of PollutionPrevention can visit businesses (free of charge) and provide recommendations on howthey can modify their processes, materials and practices to generate less pollution in acost-effective and technically feasible manner. An effort should be made to educatehomeowners and businesses of the potential threat their activities can pose to the watersupply.

Source water protection efforts in the CAZ should focus on continued monitoring ofLake Erie water quality and coordination with U.S. Coast Guard officials regardingresponse to spills, releases or other threats to intakes. In addition, the City mayconsider providing educational materials to consumers, local municipal officials andbusinesses on strategies to reduce contaminated storm water runoff. The City map alsoconsider supporting prohibitions or limitations on oil and gas exploration in Lake Eriewhere it could directly impact the quality of the source water. Finally, Ohio EPAencourages a coordinated long-term Lake Erie biological and water quality monitoringprogram, including support of the Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP).

Future development and changes in land use practices and water activities may impactthe ecological health of Lake Erie and affect water quality within the Avon Lakeprotection area. This valuable water system should be protected to avoid furtherdegradation of water quality by the excessive loading of nutrients and suspended solids. Watershed management plans for this area should be drafted and should be utilized toguide future protection activities.

Ohio EPA encourages the City of Avon Lake to incorporate the types of protectivestrategies listed above into a written drinking water source protection plan. For moreinformation on drinking water source protection please contact the Drinking WaterProtection staff at (614) 644-2752.

7

References

Gazetteer of Ohio Streams, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water1960

Personal Conversations with David Bowland, Ohio EPA, Division of Drinking andGround Waters, Northeast District Office

Personal Conversation with Beth Darnell and Rick Eberle, Municipal UtilitiesDepartment of Avon Lake, Water Filtration Plant

8

Table 1. Water Quality Monitoring Summary of Treated WaterCity of Avon Lake Public Water System

Ohio EPA Public Water System Compliance Monitoring Database (1991- 2002)Contaminant

(units)LevelsFound

PrimaryMCL

ExceedsMCL 1 Typical Source

Inorganic Contaminants

Barium (mg/l) 0.012 - 0.019 2 No Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge frommetal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits

Fluoride (mg/l) 0.84 - 1.03 4 NoErosion of natural deposits; Water additivewhich promotes strong teeth; Discharge fromfertilizer and aluminum factories

Nitrate (mg/l) 0.15 - 1.51 10 No Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septictanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits

Sulfate (mg/l) 22.0 none NA2

Erosion of natural deposits; decompositionproduct of organic matter; discharge from miningand industrial waters; detergents in sewage;component of precipitation in metropolitan areas

Radioactive Contaminants Beta/photon emitters (pCi/L) 4.0 - 20.7 AL=15 No Decay of natural and man-made depositsAlpha emitters (pCi/L) 4.27 15 No Erosion of natural depositsVolatile Organic Contaminants

Xylenes (mg/l) 0.006 10 No Discharge from petroleum factories; Dischargefrom chemical factories

TTHMs [TotalTrihalomethanes] (µg/l) 18.0 - 45.1 80 No3 By-product of drinking water chlorination

Bromodichloromethane (µg/l) 3.2 - 12.2 none NA3 By-product of drinking water chlorination

Chloroform (µg/l) 2.7 - 28.6 none NA3 By-product of drinking water chlorinationBromoform (µg/l) 0.7 none NA3 By-product of drinking water chlorinationDibromochloromethane(µg/l) 1.4 - 5.4 none NA3 By-product of drinking water chlorination

Dichloroacetic Acid (µg/l) 7.8 - 13.5 none NA3 By-product of drinking water chlorinationTrichloroacetic Acid (µg/l) 5.8 - 11.6 none NA3 By-product of drinking water chlorination

MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level (AL = Action Level).

1 MCL set by federal or state drinking water standards. A sampling result that exceeds the MCL value does notnecessarily indicate a violation by the public water system. MCL violations for many contaminants are based on arunning annual average.2 Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) for this parameter. SMCLs are non-health-related limits.

3 Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs): (MCL = 0.80 mg/l) calculated as the sum of the concentrations ofBromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Bromoform, and Chloroform.

Five Haloacetic Acids (HAA5): (MCL = 0.060 mg/l) calculated as the sum of the concentrations ofMonochloroacetic acid, Dichloroacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Monobromoacetic acid, and Dibromoacetic acid.

9

Table 2. Avon Lake Public Water System Source Water AssessmentPotential Contaminant Source InventoryMapID Unique ID Type

Inv.Code

Data Source

1 LUST 471204800 Leaking UndergroundStorage Tank (LUST)

R-18 BUSTR: LUST Database

2 LUST472064901 Leaking UndergroundStorage Tank (LUST)












8 OHD000681353 RCRIS-Hazardous WasteHandling

R-8 US EPA Envirofacts

9 NA Oil/Gas Production Well O-21 Oil/Gas Database

10 NA Waste Water TreatmentPlant

M-10 Field Survey

11 NA Veterinary Office C-31 Field Survey

12 NA Boat Launch C-24 Field Survey

13 NA Power Plant I-16 Field Survey

14 NA Automobile Dealership C-5 Field Survey

10Figure 1. Avon Lake Water Plant - Critical Assessment Zones

11

Figure 2. Avon Lake Water PlantPotential Contaminant Sources and Transportation Network Map

drinking water source assessment for the city of avon lake · residential wells or cisterns. in...

Documents