operator basics: water supply & sources

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Operator Basics:Water Supply & Sources

WELCOME!

This training is presented by RCAC with funding provided by the California State Revolving Fund

(SRFCA) from the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)

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Your Moderators Today…

John Hamner,Kelsyville, [email protected]

Neil WorthenLas Cruces, [email protected]

The Rural Community Assistance Partnership

RCAC

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RCAC Programs

• Affordable housing• Community facilities• Water and wastewater infrastructure

financing (Loan Fund)• Classroom and online training• On-site technical assistance • Median Household Income (MHI) surveys

Questions?

Text your questions and comments anytime during the session

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Performance Assessment Rating Tool (PART)

• 4 to 6 weeks from today• Email w/ today’s workshop in subject line• 3 questions – 3 minutes maximum• How did you use the information that was

presented today?• Funders are looking for positive changes• Help us continue these free workshops!

Your Presenter Today…

RosAnna NovalPortland OR

[email protected]

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Supply vs Source

Supply

• Quantity

• Customer Demand

• Water Rights

• Forecasting

• Drought

Source

• Type

• Characteristics

• Quality

• Treatment Variations

• Contamination

Poll Time!Question 1: How’s your Supply?

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Supply to Meet Demand?

• Is each source metered?

• Does the system keep records on how much drinking water is produced?

• Adequate water rights?

• Is there adequate source capacity? Any seasonal variations?

• Emergency or supplemental water supply available?

Rights of the use of Water

• Riparian – acquired with title to the land bordering a source of surface water.

• Appropriative – acquired for the beneficial use of water by following a specific legal

procedure.

• Prescriptive – acquired by diverting water, putting to use for a period of time specified by

statute.

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What Exactly Is a “Drought”?

• No unique definition!

• National Drought Policy Commission:

• “ a persistent and abnormal moisture deficiency having adverse impacts on vegetation, animals, and people”.

• Meteorological - rainfall deficit (supply-demand)

• Agricultural - topsoil moisture deficit; crop impacts

• Hydrological - surface or sub-surface water supply shortage

Drought Preparedness

• Droughts are long-term• Droughts occur slowly and recede slowly• Normal part of the hydrologic cycle• Impacts are site-specific and sector-specific• Drought conditions are directly relative to

supply and demand

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Just How Bad Is California’s Drought?

National Drought Mitigation Center

Poll Time!Question 2: What actions has your water system taken during this or previous droughts?

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Challenges For Small Systems

• Isolated rural communities• Fractured rock groundwater• Small groundwater basins

• Minimal recharge• Limited storage capacities

• Typically operate with little margin• May lack “technical, managerial, financial”

capacity

Conservation vs Drought

• Conservation measures should be implemented continually

• Drought measures are triggered by supply reduction• Depend on severity• Voluntary and enforced

• Possible drought impact mitigation measures should be considered

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Drought Preparedness

• Assessment of supply and demand• Key tool is a Drought Preparedness

Management Plan

Drought Management Plan

In Seven Steps!1. Obtain public input and involvement2. Define goals and objectives3. Assess water supply and demand conditions4. Define drought indicators5. Identify drought mitigation measures6. Assess mitigation measures7. Develop a drought index and management

strategy

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Review Test 1: 3 types of water rights

Source Water

Hydrological Cycle

Types

Treatment

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Hydrologic Cycle

• Evaporation

• Transpiration

• Condensation

• Precipitation

• Saturation

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Water Characteristics

• Physical

• Turbidity

• Color

• Temperature

• Taste

• Odor


• Chemical

• Inorganic Chemicals

• Organic Chemicals

• General Mineral Constituents

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• Biological

• Bacteria

• Protozoa

• Viruses

• Cysts

Source Types & Characteristics

Groundwater

• Lower in organics

• Lower turbidity

• Harder water due to minerals

• Harder to pollute, but harder to mitigate if polluted

• Iron and manganese

Surface Water

• Higher in organics

• Higher turbidity

• Softer water

• Easier to pollute

• Microbial contamination

• Falls under the SWTR ($$$)

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What Water Sources Do You Have?

Groundwater well or wells

River Spring Bottled

Lake/reservoir Mud puddle

Purchased water Creek

Other

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What is Groundwater?

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Groundwater

• Aquifer – Underground layer of porous water bearing material (sand or gravel)

• Confined – Between two impervious layers (clay or rock). Known as an artesian aquifer.

• Unconfined – Has an impervious layer beneath it, but is unconfined on top. Known as water table aquifer.

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Fractures in Limestone

Not all soils are created equal!

http://www.co.portage.wi.us/Groundwater/undrstnd/soil.htm

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Sediments and Stains

Milky or Cloudy

Excessive air, suspended solids, aquifer material

Bluish Green – Green Precipitates

Copper, hardness, aggressive water and corrosion by-products, nuisance bacteria

Blackish Tint or Black Slimes

Reactions with manganese and possibly iron, nuisance bacteria

Yellowish or Reddish Tint or Slimes

Humic material, dissolved or precipitated iron, nuisance bacteria

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Typical Well

• Sanitary seal

• Well casing

• Well slab

• Grout

• Well screen

Parts of a Groundwater Well

• Sanitary seal: prevents surface contamination from entry

• Well casing: lines the bore hole preventing collapse

• Well slab: prevents surface contamination, supports equipment

• Grout: used to fill annular space preventing contamination

• Well screen: prevents sand from entering well

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Well Screen

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Well Terms

• Static water level: “normal” water level at rest

• Drawdown: the total drop between static and pumping water levels

• Cone of depression: in an unconfined

aquifer, the cone shape of the surface

Well Terms, continued

• Radius of Influence: the zone affected by drawdown (varies w/porosity & permeability)

• Pumping water level: stabilized water level when pumping over time

• Well Yield: the rate of withdrawal over time (safe yield vs overdraft)

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Well Construction Records

• Depth of well

• Depth of well casing

• Annular seal dimensions and materials

• Type and depth of screen

• Measurement of drawdown

• Well construction/completion report

• Water quality

Refer to State’s Well Standards

Line Tool: Groundwater Characteristics

Red water

Hard water

Black water

Consistent

Generally neutral

Temperature

Iron

pH

Calcium/magnesium

Manganese

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Line Tool: Groundwater Characteristics

Red water

Hard water

Black water

Consistent

Generally neutral

Temperature

Iron

pH

Calcium/magnesium

Manganese

Water Quality - Groundwater


• Higher in minerals



• Lower turbidity

• Iron and manganese issues

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jointheevolution.ca

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Water Quality – Surface Water


• Higher in turbidity

• Soft water



• Falls under the SWTR

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Surface Water

• Flows by gravity or has to be pumped to treatment plant

Spring Collector

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Surface Water Stratification

• Thermal stratification

• different temperature zones (layers) in a reservoir

• Upper layer warms up in spring

• Reduces mixing

• Thermal unification causes turnover of reservoir or lake

Surface Water Stratification

• Epilimnion – The upper (warmest) layer, which continues to mix

• Metalimnion – The middle layer (zone of rapid temperature decrease with depth). Also known as the thermocline

• Hypolimnion – The lowest layer (coldest) which is the denser water

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Review Test : Surface Water Pros & Cons

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GWUDI

• Groundwater Under the Direct Influence

• Technically GW but impacted by SW

• Shares SW characteristics

• May change seasonally

• Regulated like surface water

Review Type of Source

• Surface

• River, lake, creek

• Groundwater

• Drilled, driven, dug well, spring collector

• GWUDI

• Spring, infiltration wells, rainey wells

• Purchase water

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What and Why

• Type of treatment

• Reason for treatment

Poll Time!Question 3: What treatment does your water system use?

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Treatment Processes

• Disinfection• Chlorination

• Gas

• Hypochlorination

• Onsite Generation

• Chloramination

• Ultra-Violet (UV) Light

• Ozone

Ground Water Treatment

• Additional Treatment processes

• Oxidation

• Sequesters / Filtration

• Corrosion Control

• Reverse Osmosis

• Ion Exchange

• Aeration

• Fluoridation

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Surface Water Treatment

• Additional Treatment processes

• Slow Sand Filtration

• Rapid Sand Filtration

• Alternative Technology

• “Bag” Cartridge

• Membrane

• Diatomaceous Earth

• Fluoridation

Review Test 3: Hydrologic cycle, surface water treatment, GW

characteristics

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Review

• Reservoirs are stratified in three layers.

Epilimnion

Metalimnion

Hypolimnion

Hot

Warm

Cold

Review

• Reservoirs are stratified in three layers.

Epilimnion

Metalimnion

Hypolimnion

Hot

Warm

Cold

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Source Types & Characteristics

Groundwater


• Lower turbidity



• Iron and manganese

Surface Water


• Higher turbidity

• Softer water



• Falls under the SWTR ($$$)

Source Water Protection

• Watershed management

• Protection through regulation

• Sanitary survey

• Inspect/evaluate to insure source protection

• SWAP

• Source Water Assessment Plan

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Sanitary Survey

Source Water Inspection

Sanitary Surveys:

1. Source water2. Treatment; 3. Distribution system; 4. Finished water storage; 5. Pumps, pump facilities, and controls; 6. Monitoring, reporting, and data verification; 7. System management and operation;8. Operator compliance with state

requirements

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Source Well near a source of fecal contamination

Well in a flood zone

Well improperly constructed Spring boxes poorly constructed

Significant Deficiencies :

Water Sources

• Ground or surface water

• Quantity and quality

• Source water protection

• Well grout and screens

• O & M schedules

• Redundancy

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Surface Water

Surface Water Inspections

• Fecal sources

• Wastewater plant/Septic systems

• Feed lots/animal pens

• Agricultural

• Fuel

• Anything chemical

• Review of Watershed Protection Plan

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Groundwater Inspections

• Fecal sources

• Wastewater plant

• Septic systems

• Feed lots/animal pens

• Agricultural

• Fuel

• Chemical Sources ?

Well ConstructionHard to see!

Check recordsGeologic data

When was it installed

Has it been inspected

Draw down tests

Chemical/mineral

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Pumping Stations and Pump Houses

• Well casing 18 inches above grade

• Three feet above flood level

• Submersibles should be sealed

• Piping and valving

• Lightning protection for electrical system

• Is pump easy to maintain

Possible Defects

• Casing too low

• Improper well cap

• No sanitary seal

• Well is in a pit

• Well not grouted properly

• Well not properly ventilated

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Potential Sources of Contamination

• Does a Wellhead Protection Program (WHPP) exist?

• Is the aquifer recharge area (actively) protected?

• What is the size of the protected area and who controls it?

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Source Water Assessment

• Has hydro geological sensitivity been assessed?

• Is raw water quality monitored?

• Does raw water quality indicate sanitary deficiency?

• Does source meet demands and future demands?

• Is system operating with permit requirements?


• Is there a master meter?

• Are the system customers metered? How many?

• Interconnections?

• Redundant source?

• Meet needs during drought?

• Conservation plan?

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Source Water Transmission

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Installation: La Mesa, CA

• Do lines deliver to treatment plant?

• Can lines bypass treatment plant?

• Age and condition of lines?

• Redundancy?

Site Security

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Site Security

• Is well protected from vandalism?

• Accidents?

• Is wellhead restricted?

• Are transmission lines vulnerable?

• Housekeeping?

• How often is site visited?

• Is it well maintained?

• Cross connections?


Protection is cheaper than treatment.

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What about Source Water Quality?

• Meet source monitoring requirements? Any contaminants of concern?

• Does water system treat for a primary contaminant? Secondary contaminant?

• Any indication of water quality changing?

• Any indication of sanitary deficiency?

Is your Source Vulnerable?

• Do you have a source water protection program?• i.e.: wellhead

protection, source water assessment, watershed sanitary survey, watershed protection plan?

Wells

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Source Water Protection

Requirement of 1986 SDWA amendments

• Community involvement & support

• Surveys for potential/actual contaminants

• Determine potential contamination of basin/aquifers

• Development, implementation and enforcement of land use regulations

8” ACP

6” ACP

Wells

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Community Involvement

• Community buy in means less work/dollars

• Seek volunteers with geology, planning & engineering backgrounds

• Local college students• Committee meetings monthly• Budget for expenses

Collect Existing Data

• Geology of the area

• Local aquifers

• Any existing groundwater data

• Locate underground storage tanks

• Septic tanks and WW disposal methods

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Collect Existing Data

• Locate all existing wells in the area

• Identify businesses that may be a threat to groundwater

• Identify what community regulations already in place

• Identify local and state public works practices

Fill In The Data Gap

• Survey the locals

• Public buy in is crucial

• Survey should help determine location of potential contaminants not on record, like:

• Patterns of land use

• Underground storage tanks

• Septic systems

• Abandoned wells

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Contaminant Sources

Herbicide

Well

Source Protection

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Source Protection

Well Abandonment

• Must be done properly;

• Eliminate a physical hazard

• Prevent groundwater contamination

• Conserve the aquifer

• To prevent mixing of desirable and undesirable water between aquifers

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Land Use

• Pass ordinances OR encourage county or state entities to enforce existing requirements?

• Create an education and/or voluntary best practices program?

• If not, what could you do?

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Poll Time!Question 4: How do you protect your source water?

Review Test 4: What information are you taking away?

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Thank you for attending!Sept 9, 2015

RosAnna Noval

[email protected]

Neil Worthen

[email protected]

John Hamner

[email protected]

operator basics: water supply & sources

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