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MWC 2005 SPONSORS
U.S. Geological Survey . Senator George J. Mitchell Center . Maine DHS / Drinking Water Program . Portland Water District . Aqua Maine . Maine Coastal Program / State Planning Office . Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection . Maine Geological Survey . Maine Rural Water Association . Maine Wastewater Control Association . Maine Water Utilities Association . Maine Congress of Lake Associations . Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program . Maine Rivers . University of Maine Cooperative Extension . Maine Sea Grant
Drinking Water Planning and Conflicts
Co-Chairs: Jeff McNelly (Maine Water Utilities Association), Andy Tolman (Maine Drinking Water Program)
John M. Peckenham and Teresa Thornton
Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research, Orono, ME, 207/581-3254, jpeck@maine.edu, teresa.thornton@umit.maine.edu
The Future of Drinking Water in Maine
Sources of drinking water are subject to factors that may degrade quality. These factors can be grouped into three broad categories: land use changes, forestry/agriculture practices, and changing climate. Each of these factors can leave their mark in the form of anthropogenic pollutants (e.g., pesticides, MtBE, nitrogen), natural pollutants (e.g. arsenic and radon), or changes in hydrology (e.g., drought). These factors are strongly interdependent and the relative risks of each vary across the state. In addition, the capacity of individual water suppliers to tolerate changing raw water quality is equally variable. The future production of safe drinking water depends upon our ability to manage these factors and to be able to anticipate change. Using the results of the recently completed Source Water Assessment Program, we are building a model that characterizes the water supplies most at risk. This model provides guidance on how to monitor for impacts and how to anticipate changes. This knowledge then needs to be integrated into long-term water supply planning.
Alex Wong, Groundwater Program Manager and Susan Breau, Source Water Program Manager
Maine Rural Water Association, Brunswick, M, 207/729-6569, awong@mrwa.org, sbreau@mrwa.org
Drinking Water Source Protection: Maine Rural Water's Strategy to protect public drinking water supplies
Groundwater and surface water resources may span large geographic areas and incorporate many disparate stakeholders and user groups within their borders. As a result, drinking water source protection is often a process that alienates many user groups in an attempt to protect the quality of a single resource: drinking water. It's no surprise to managers that devising and implementing drinking water protection plans can be problematic. The Maine Rural Water Association (MRWA) has been developing ground water and wellhead protection plans for many of the state's small communities for the past 14 years and has recently added a surface water protection program. Together, MRWA's source water protection strategy runs the gamut from introverted processes involving a limited number of stakeholders to an extroverted process involving many stakeholders and public meetings. Specific planning techniques also range from introverted processes such as land acquisition to extroverted processes such as regional ordinance implementation. This session will review and explore the various approaches of the MRWA to source water protection and discuss their pros and cons.
Rick Knowlton
Vice President, Operations for Aqua Maine, Inc.
Did you invite the neighbors? One utility's experience gaining approval to construct a new public water supply well
The presentation will provide a background that describes the need for additional water supply capacity in Freeport, Maine and the unexpected difficulties and expense associated with the approval for and construction of a new 300 gallon per minute well for the public water system. The issues discussed focus primarily on the planning and approval process at the municipal level and the conflict presented by neighbors to the proposed well, specifically those with private wells of their own. Key topics in the discussion include groundwater rights and the value of local ordinance.
As a real life case study here in Maine, the presentation will offer take away strategies and tips for municipal planners, local activists and public water utility managers faced with balancing the water supply needs of the community with concerns of neighboring property owners.
Paul Thomas Hunt
Environmental Manager, Portland Water District, Portland, Maine, 207/774-5961 x3306, phunt@pwd.org
Sebago Lake: Yours, Mine and Ours
Sebago Lake is one of Maine's most important natural resources because it is used by so many for so much. It is a drinking water supply for nearly a quarter million people, a treasured vacation destination, the setting for some of Maine's most desired seasonal and year-round homes, and a renowned cold water fishery. Tens of thousands of people launch their boats into the lake every year, supporting dozens of profitable water-related businesses on and near the lake.
The ideal drinking water supply lake is clean, deep, naturally low in nutrients and surrounded by a fence and undeveloped land. Sebago Lake meets the first three criteria but not the last two. A lake can provide both drinking water and recreational opportunities, but not without compromise and probably not without conflict.
I will describe some recent efforts, some more successful than others, to balance protection and access on Sebago Lake.
Nancy A. Beardsley and Andrews L. Tolman
Maine Drinking Water Program
Public Access and Source Protection at Branch Lake, Ellsworth, Maine
The Maine DHHS Drinking Water Program (DWP) completed assessments of all public water supply sources in 2003. These assessments identified a variety of risks to the quality of public water supplies, and provided recommendations for managing and reducing those risks. The DWP has been involved with the Ellsworth Water Department during the assessment concerning appropriate surface access and use for Branch Lake.
The issue of providing access that minimizes risk to a drinking water supply involves a number of stakeholders. In this case, there are numerous shorefront homes with individual access; the Water Department, the City, and the Branch Lake Watershed Association all have interests in conserving water quality. The Maine Department of Conservation, which owns a large portion of the lake waterfront, has been directed by the legislature to develop a boat ramp, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife also has a mandate for providing access, and has historically stocked the lake with salmon.
The diversity of the stakeholders' interests makes it difficult to reach solutions that provide for the long-term protection of the lake and satisfy the short-term goals of the groups. The DWP has advocated for a balanced solution that protects the water supply and reduces the risk to the lake's water quality in the long term.
Facilitators: Andy Tolman and Jeff McNelly
Panel: John Peckenham, Alex Wong, Susan Breau, Rick Knowlton, Paul Hunt, Nancy Beardsley
Source Protection Solution Roundtable
Developing and implementing effective source water protection solutions involves much in the way of planning, coordination and ongoing maintenance.
Identification of stakeholders and other affected parties and early communication with those persons are of paramount importance. To the extent possible, the perceptions and expectations of all parties should be quantified in an effort to predict what types of relationships may develop, whether those relationships consist of collaboration, conflict or something in between.
Technical information provides the basis of effective source protection activities; however the time spent addressing the needs of the stakeholders often makes the difference as to whether or not the solution is attainable and sustainable.
Once an effective source protection solution is implemented there needs to be an understanding of and a commitment to the resources necessary to maintain the elements of the solution, on a long term basis.
Participants in this roundtable will discuss source protection efforts they have been involved in and describe techniques they have used to develop and implement effective programs.
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