Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Water Supply Issues and Regional Planning Program Overview and Chall

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Southeastern WisconsinRegional Water Supply
Issuesand Regional Planning Program Overview and
Challenges

• Waukesha County Action Network
• June 28, 2006

118893
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A Cooperative Program
SE Wisconsin Water Utilities
Seven Southeastern Wisconsin Counties
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Presentation Overview

• Regional Setting
• Water Supply Issues
• Regional Water Supply Planning Program
  Background and Status Report
• Water Supply Planning Challenges

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• Areas Served by Public and Private Water Supply
  Systems in Southeastern Wisconsin 2000

• 2,700 Square Miles (62 west of Divide)
• 2.0 Million People
• Public Water Supply
• Lake Michigan
• Nine Plants (30 systems)
• 1.2 Million People
• 210 mgd
• Groundwater
• 50 Systems
• 400,000 People
• 55 mgd
• Private Water Supply
• 400,000 People
• 40 mgd

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Trends in Water Use in Southeastern Wisconsin
1979-2000(in million gallons per day)
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Trends in Water Use for the Region 1979-2000(in
million gallons per day)
Excludes thermoelectric power generation uses
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Historic Per Capita Water Use in the Southeastern
Wisconsin Region 1979-2000 (gallons per person
per day)
NOTE Figure represents total water use.
Residential water uses among counties is very
similar 60 to 70 gpd.
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General Hydrogeology of Southeast Wisconsin
20 miles
Unconfined aquifer
Lake Michigan
Milwaukee
2200 feet
Maquoketa shale confining unit
Confined sandstone aquifer
Resource assessment requires knowing recharge
and inflows
Source USGS
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Sand and Gravel Aquifer Present as Lenses or
Channel Deposits in Bedrock Valleys

• Sand not present as uniform layer
• Thickness and permeability of sand changes with
  location

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Dolomite Aquifer -Silurian dolomite -Fracture-
dominated flow -Only present in east -Important
for municipal and domestic wells
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Sandstone Aquifer -Sandstone,
dolomite -Regionally extensive -Excellent
aquifer -Porous flow -Most high-capacity
wells -Occurs beneath shale in east
Exposure of Sandstone in the Wisconsin Dells
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Relative well depths
tallest buildings 600 ft high
most municipal wells 200-800 ft deep
dolomite
shale
sandstone
granite
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Major Issues

• Groundwater Supply Demand is Rising
• Overuse of the Deep Sandstone Aquifer Has Caused
  Large Cone of Depression Up to 500 Feet of
  Drawdown
• Current Radium Exceedance Issues (22 systems in
  Southeastern Wisconsin and 53 in State)
• Quality of Deep Sandstone Aquifer Water Is
  Declining in Some Wells
• Potential for Contamination and Surface Water
  Impacts with Increased Use of the Shallow Aquifer
  (Conflicts between Water Suppliers and Surface
  Water Advocates)

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Regional Water Supply Planning Program

• Three Elements (Coordinated with and Designed to
  Complement Local Actions)
• Conduct Basic Groundwater Inventories (Completed
  in 2001 with PartnersWGNHS and WDNR)
• Collect Additional Inventory Data and Develop
  Regional Aquifer Simulation Model (Completed with
  PartnersUSGS, WGNHS, UW-Milwaukee, WDNR, and SE
  Wisconsin Water Utilities)
• Prepare Regional Water Supply System Plan
  (Planning is Underway with Support from Seven
  Counties in Southeastern Wisconsin)

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Second Element Groundwater Model Objectives

• Understand Present GW System
• Study Current and Future Impacts of Groundwater
  Use
• Water Supply Plan--Simulate Alternative
  Management Options
• Delineate Contributing Areas for Wellhead
  Protection
• Provide a Framework for Site-Specific Models and
  Studies

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Well Locations and Pumping Rates
Water Levels in the Sandstone Aquifer (feet above
sea level)
Mixed or Intermediate Depth
Shallow
Deep
1880-1900
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Well Locations and Pumping Rates
Water Levels in the Sandstone Aquifer (feet above
sea level)
Mixed or Intermediate Depth
Shallow
Deep
1920-1930
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Well Locations and Pumping Rates
Water Levels in the Sandstone Aquifer (feet above
sea level)
Mixed or Intermediate Depth
Shallow
Deep
1950-1961
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Well Locations and Pumping Rates
Water Levels in the Sandstone Aquifer (feet above
sea level)
Mixed or Intermediate Depth
Shallow
Deep
1990-2000
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The Milwaukee/Chicago cone of depression is one
of the largest areas of groundwater drawdown in
North America
Well Locations and Pumping Rates
Water Levels in the Sandstone Aquifer (feet above
sea level)
Mixed or Intermediate Depth
Shallow
Deep
2010-2020
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Regional Groundwater Modeling Important Initial
Findings

• Pumping Has Altered Groundwater Flow Directions
• Groundwater that Once Flowed Toward Lake Michigan
  is Now Intercepted by Pumping and Diverted West
  Under the Surface Water Divide Where, After Use,
  it is Ultimately Discharged to Surface Water
  Within the Mississippi River Basin

1900
2000
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Regional Groundwater Modeling Important Initial
Findings
Water Transferred from Surface Water Within the
SEWRPC Region Accounts for 80 of Combined
Shallow and Deep Pumping
Deep Pumping 33.3mgd
Shallow Pumping 32.5mgd
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Third Element Regional Water Supply Plan

• OVERALL CHALLENGE To Develop a Plan for the
  Provision of Long-Term Sources of High-Quality
  Water for the Southeastern Wisconsin Region
• Determine a Balanced and Efficient Management
  Program for Sources of Supply
• Lake Michigan
• Shallow Aquifer
• Deep (Regional) Aquifer (with treatment)
• Precipitation
• Infiltration Systems
• Enhanced Precipitation
• Wastewater?

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Third Element Regional Water Supply Plan
Major Plan Components

• Development of water supply service areas and
  forecast demand for water use plan year 2035
• Documentation of existing and potential water
  supply problems and issues
• Development of recommendations for water
  conservation efforts to reduce water demand
• Development and evaluation of alternative means
  of addressing the identified water supply
  problems and issues
• Selection and documentation of a recommended
  plan
• Identification of groundwater recharge areas to
  be considered for protection
• Specification of any new institutional structures
  found necessary to carry out the plan
  recommendations and
• Identification of any constraints to development
  levels in subareas of the Region due to water
  supply sustainability concerns.

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Planning Challenges

• Study Area Considerations
• Basic Grid Spacing 2,500 feet, or an average of
  one-quarter square mile
• Includes 18 Layers
• Total of about 600,000 cells

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Planning Challenges

• All Groundwater Use Has Consequences
• Balance Groundwater Water Supply Needs With
  Surface Water ImpactsReasonableness

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Planning Challenges

• CHALLENGE Water Conservation
• Determine What Levels Are Achievable and At What
  Cost
• Balance Conservation and Economic Development
  Objectives
• Implementation How to Achieve
• Need to Consider Different Situations (Sources of
  Supply)

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Water Supply and Comprehensive Planning
Linkages

• Opportunity to Integrate Water Supply and Other
  Utility Planning with Land Use and Other
  Comprehensive Plan Elements at Regional, County,
  and Local Level
• Link Reasonably Expected Water Supply Capacities
  As One of Several Factors Considered in Future
  Land Use Decisions This Requires Water Supply
  Facilities Plan
• Take Into Account Important Water Supply
  Considerations in Establishing Land Use Patterns
• Preserve Important Groundwater Recharge Areas
• Protect Existing and Future Well Zone of
  Contribution Areas
• Promote Local Zoning to Protect Areas Most
  Susceptible to Groundwater Contamination

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Water Supply and Comprehensive Planning
Linkages

• Opportunity to Integrate Water Supply and Other
  Utility Planning with Land Use and Other
  Comprehensive Plan Elements at Regional, County,
  and Local Level (contd)
• Promote Low Impact and Other Development Patterns
  and Stormwater Management Practices Which
  Maintain the Natural Hydrology
• Potential Limits to Development Density in
  Selected Areas to Help Achieve a Safe Water
  Supply
• Water Conservation?

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Your Turn

• Questions? Comments?