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Old Dominion University

Lake Gaston Project Field Trip

November 1, 2014

Thomas M. Leahy, P.E.

Director of Public Utilities

North Carolina & Virginia Discharge 15 inches/yr No structural water

shortages except in the coastal plain

In the coastal plain, topography and wetlands preclude new reservoirs

Coastal plain aquifers are over-stressed

SE Virginia is a major metropolitan region in the coastal plain – much of water is interbasin transfer

The City of Virginia Beach, VA

Virginia Beach is the largest City in the state, but it had no water supply

Dependent upon Norfolk for surplus supply

Surplus was in adequate since 1976

The City restricted water often, including five consecutive years: 1992-97

In 1982, Virginia Beach decided to pursue the Lake Gaston Water Transfer

The Lake Gaston Water Transfer60 MGD from the Roanoke River Basin

The Lake Gaston Water Transfer76 mile, 60-inch Diameter Pipeline

The Lake Gaston Water Transfer:Roanoke River Basin to Virginia

Beach

Average flow in Roanoke River – 8,000 cfs

Lowest monthly and yearly flow (regulated by upstream dams)– 2,000 cfs

60 mgd (93 cfs) is 4.7% of drought flows

Transfer does not reduce minimum daily flows which are regulated by mandated releases from downstream dams

Transfer does increase the duration of low flows during drought periods

Permits for Water Projects Federal Permits

Corps of Engineers: Rivers and Harbors Act and Clean Water Act

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Coastal Zone Management Act (NOAA)

State Permits DEQ: Clean Water Act 401 Certification DEQ: VA Water Protection Permit (instream

flow) DEQ: NPDES/VPDES

Local Permits (Zoning, CUP, Local Consent)

National Environmental Policy Act - NEPA Any agency with approval jurisdiction

must conduct public interest/environmental review If the Environmental Assessment (EA)

results in a FONSI – then approval may issue

If the project might harm the human or natural environment, a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) including an analysis of need and alternatives will be prepared

If the EIS concludes that the project is not needed, there is a better alternative, or has unacceptable impacts, the agency can reject or modify the applicant’s proposal

VA Beach Evaluation of Alternatives New reservoirs: Would not pass the

environmental reviews – wetlands, irreversible habitat losses, etc Particularly in the Coastal Plain

Regional Groundwater Aquifer: could not provide sufficient quantities long-term

Seawater Desalting: Too expensive (at that time)

Wastewater Reuse: Not feasible (at that time)

Alternatives to the Gaston pipeline were the subject of extensive regulatory and legal debate History supports regulatory decisions at that

time, but if project were attempted today, desalting and/or potable reuse would be more viable

Lake Gaston Project Permits and Environmental Studies

Corps of Engineers, FERC, NOAA 1983 – 1995: Three EA’s, two EIS’, one

CZMA Review (similar to EIS) Three District Court rulings, two

Appellate Court rulings, two refusals by Supreme Court to grant an appeal

Every study and every ruling upheld the need for the project and that the project was the best overall alternative – but took 15 years

Cost of Lake Gaston Water Transfer vs Desalination

Source Date LG Water Transfer

Seawater Desalination

Desal/LG

Ratio

US Army Corps of Engineers

1984 $1.26/kgal

$3.90/kgal 3.1

Virginia Beach 1986 $1.16/kgal

$3.83/kgal 3.2

Federal Regulatory Energy Commission

1995 $1.153 B 50-yr NPV

$3.673 B 50-yr NPV

3.2

Virginia Beach 1998 $2.79/kgal

$5.69/kgal 2.0

Virginia Beach Consultant

2004 $307 M25-yr NPV

$632 M25-yr NPV

2.1

But the times, they are a’changing

Gaston Water: $2.25 - $3:00/1000 gallons

Seawater Desalination Carlsbad/San Diego: 50 mgd, $6.00/1000

gallons Huntington Beach: 50 mgd, $4.40/1000

gallons Tel Aviv, Israel: 165 mgd, $2.00/1000

gallons Potable Wastewater Reuse - OCWD

Microfiltration, Reverse Osmosis, UV/H202

Direct injection into water supply aquifers (30% of total recharge to the aquifer)

70 mgd, $2.61/1000 gallons

VA Coastal Plain Aquifer Cross-Section

McFarland & Bruce, 2006

About 60% of Sea Level Rise May Be Due to Land Subsidence

Groundwater Withdrawals From Deep Aquifers May Be Causing Most

(or all) of Land Subsidence What is Being

MeasuredHow is it Being

MeasuredWho is Doing the Measuring

Numberof Stations

Date Range of Measurements

Mean mm/year

Low mm/year

High mm/year

Estimated average

global sea-level rise Various IPCC2 NA 1961–2003 1.8 NA NA

Aquifer compaction Extensometer USGS3 2 1979–1995 –2.6 –1.5 –3.7

Land subsidence

Geodetic survey NGS4 17 1940–1971 –2.8 –1.1 –4.8

Land subsidence Fixed GPS NOAA/USCG5 3 2006–2011 –3.1 –2.7 –3.4

Relative sea-level rise Tidal station NOAA6 4 1927–2006 3.9 3.5 4.4

Southern Chesapeake Bay region data

Largest Groundwater Permits

FACILITYTOTAL PERMITTED

Q (MGD)PERMITTED Q

(% of all Permits)REPORTED USE

Q (MGD)

West Point Mill Water System 23.03 20.07% 20.09Franklin Virginia Mill 20.61 17.96% 9.08City of Chesapeake 11.00 9.59% 3.50James City County Service Authority 8.83 7.69% 5.41WTWA (Suffolk and Isle of Wight) 8.34 7.27% 3.51City of Newport News 7.00 6.10% 1.53Hercules Incorporated 6.67 5.81% 2.74City of Norfolk (wells in Suffolk) 3.74 3.26% 0.06City of Franklin 2.88 2.51% 0.93Cogentrix Virginia Wells A thru F 2.60 2.27% 0.18Colonial Williamsburg 1.84 1.61% 1.40Smithfield Packing Co. Inc. - North Division 1.40 1.22% 0.00Town of Smithfield 1.27 1.11% 0.86Smithfield Packing Company, Inc. 1.20 1.05% 0.00

QUESTIONS?