Regional Approaches to Implementing Drinking Water Protection Strategies

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Regional Approaches to Implementing Drinking
Water Protection Strategies

• Jacqueline Fern
• Oregon DEQ
• Drinking Water Protection Program

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What is a Regional Approach?

• Elevating drinking water issues to broader
• geographic level
• Promoting partnerships
• Public water systems that are hydrologically
  connected
• Communities with common contamination concerns
• Integrating source water protection into regional
  
• water quality and land-use planning efforts
• Addressing inter-related problems

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Challenges

• Perception that growth and source water
  protection are incompatible
• Keeping citizens informed and engaged
• Individual water systems or communities may lack
  jurisdiction over source areas
• Limited resources for protection planning
• Need for local leadership

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Benefits

• Generate widespread support for drinking water
  protection
• Pool/leverage resources
• Emphasize the economic importance of safe,
  reliable drinking water
• Minimize redundancies

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Key Components of a Regional Approach

• Focus initial resources on identified high risk
  areas
• Springfield multiple high risks within
  protection area
• Southern Willamette Valley widespread nitrate
  contamination
• Keizer solvent contamination and impacts on
  wells
• Start small and build successes
• Involve stakeholders
• Seek input from affected groups
• Develop regional partnerships

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Partnerships

• Technical assistance from Drinking Water Program
  staff
• Integration of drinking water issues into other
  DEQ programs
• Hazardous waste
• Stormwater
• Basin water quality issues
• Spill response and clean up

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Partnerships (contd)

• Leverage other water quality efforts by
  incorporating drinking water protection goals
• Watershed Councils education, outreach, and
  restoration within watersheds
• SWCDs and ODA education and outreach to the
  agricultural community
• County Extension county and regional programs
  addressing forestry, agriculture, and livestock
  issues
• ODF/USFS/BLM forested watershed management
  strategies

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Examples of Regional ApproachesPesticide
Reduction

• Lane County collection event
• Eugene Water and Electric Board
• Springfield Utility Board
• Lane County Waste Management
• OSU/Lane County Extension
• Clackamas River pilot
• Pesticide application data linked with priority
  stream reaches
• Partnerships with local groups
• Sampling data used to encourage changes in
  practices
• Legacy pesticide collection events

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Examples of Regional ApproachesGroundwater
Nitrate Reduction

• Southern Willamette Valley Groundwater Management
  Area
• Steering Committee representing regional
  stakeholders
• Comprehensive Action Plan developed containing
  nitrate reduction strategies

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Examples of Regional ApproachesOutreach and
Education

• Clackamas County Water Education Team
• 12 member organizations
• Collaborate on education and outreach including
  community events, workshops, literature, and
  technical assistance

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Examples of Regional ApproachesMinimizing Risks
from Septic Systems

• Dunes City
• Ordinance requires periodic evaluation and
  maintenance of all onsite systems
• South Deschutes County
• Local rule requires best
• nitrogen-reducing systems
• when land is built
• Existing development to be
• upgraded over 10-year
• period

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Examples of Regional ApproachesSource Water
Protective Buffers

• Port Orford
• Protective buffer around Hubbard Creek widened
  from 60 to 300
• Private timber operator won award from ODF for
  voluntary actions
• City purchased some land established
  conservation easement on 160 acres

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Examples of Regional ApproachesInformation
Sharing and Collaboration

• North Santiam River Water Providers
• Salem Public Works meets biannually with seven
  other water providers
• Collaborate on outreach and education
• Share technical information on water quality
  issues

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Ways to Get Started

• Use existing forums where possible form drinking
  water protection team if necessary
• Identify potential collaborative partners
• Involve those affected and interested
• Develop strategies for long-term protection
• Pursue joint funding opportunities

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More Ways to Get Started

• Assess regional contaminants of concern and
  organize a community, watershed, or county event
• Request notifications of land use changes in your
  source area

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More Ways to Get Started

• Public water system partnerships
• Hydrologically connected systems
• Systems dealing with similar contamination
  concerns

• Assistance from DHS and DEQ
• technical information, presentations,
  referrals

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• Comments?
• Ideas?
• Experiences to Share?