Local Goverment Water Management Issues

1
Overview of Local Government Water Management
Issues
Photo courtesy of Georgia DITT
2
Local Governments andWater Management

• By necessity, local governments are involved in
  water management. They provide

• drinking water,

• wastewater,

• storm water services, and

• control land use and development

• This presentation provides an overview of many of
  the water-related issues and programs that local
  governments must address on a daily basis

3
Setting the Stage

• Growth and quality of life issues are linked to
  water quality and water availability

4
Setting the Stage

• Recurring drought across the state has strained
  already limited water resources

5
Setting the Stage

• Local governments must comply with numerous
  existing federal and state regulatory
  requirements, and
• Prepare to meet new regulations being proposed

6
Setting the Stage

• There is growing public concern over water
  quality and watershed protection

7
Watershed Protection
A watershed approach is widely recognized as the
most effective way to manage and protect water
resources.
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8
Balancing Two Closely Related Water Management
Issues

• Water Protection - maintaining the chemical,
  physical and biological integrity of the waters
  for protection of aquatic life, recreation,
  aesthetic value and other uses

Photo Courtesy of Georgia DITT
9
Where Is The Water?

• Surface Water
• Rivers and Streams
• Lakes and Reservoirs
• Wetlands
• Estuaries and oceans
• Ground Water
• Aquifers
• Wells and springs

Photos courtesy of Georgia DITT
10
Water Resources IssuesSurface Water

• Withdrawal permits

• Monitoring at drinking water intakes

• Reservoir planning and construction

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• Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) to
  reduce or eliminate pollutants

• Environmental Planning Criteria for Water Supply
  Watersheds, Wetlands and Protected River Corridors

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Water Resources IssuesGroundwater

• Withdrawal permits

• Protecting aquifers from salt water intrusion and
  other contamination

• Wellhead protection programs

• DNR Environmental Planning Criteria for
  Groundwater Recharge Areas

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12
Water Resources IssuesDrinking Water
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• Monitoring for possible contaminants

• Community right-to-know programs
• Annual Consumer Confidence Reports
• Public notification of violations

• Outdoor watering restrictions during drought
  periods

• Water conservation programs

13
Water Protection IssuesState Permits

• Watershed assessments and protection plans are
  now required as part of many NPDES municipal
  wastewater discharge permits, to address nonpoint
  source pollution.

• NPDES wastewater discharge and land application
  permits for
• Municipal wastewater treatment facilities
• Industrial wastewater treatment facilities
• Privately owned wastewater treatment facilities

Photo Courtesy of Georgia DITT
14
Water Protection IssuesState Local Permits

• Local Land Disturbance Activity permits under the
  Georgia Erosion and Sediment Control Act of 1975

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15
Water Protection IssuesState Local Permits

• Phase II NPDES storm water permit was issued by
  EPD in December 2002 for small Municipal Separate
  Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s)
• Certain industrial facilities owned or operated
  by small municipalities are also covered under
  Phase II regulations
• Construction activities threshold will be lowered
  from 5 to 1 acre

• Nonpoint source pollution control
• Agriculture and forestry operations

Photo Courtesy of Georgia DITT
16
Water Protection IssuesTotal Maximum Daily Load
TMDL

• TMDL
• Sets the maximum amount of a particular pollutant
  allowed in a river, stream or other water body
• Is developed and calculated by EPD or EPA
• Provides a pollutant loading and the percent
  reduction required to meet that loading
• Addresses both point and nonpoint sources of
  pollution in a watershed

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Water Protection IssuesTotal Maximum Daily Load
TMDL
TMDLs are required for impaired waters on EPDs
303(d) list.
Plans must be developed to allocate pollutant
loads by source to meet the TMDL loading and
percent reduction required to ensure water
quality standards are being met and the water
body meets its designated use (drinking water,
fishing, recreation, etc)
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Linking The Programs

• Linking State Water Programs to Watershed
  Management, published by the UGA Carl Vinson
  Institute of Government in June 2001, provides
  current guidance on how to integrate and
  coordinate various state water programs and
  requirements into the watershed approach.
• The following is a highlight of the water
  stewardship responsibilities for various state
  agencies.

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State Departments

• The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of
  the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) takes
  the lead role in the states water management and
  protection programs
• The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the
  Department of Human Resources (DHR) also
  administer water-related programs.

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EPD Water Resources Branch

• Ensures Georgias compliance with the Federal
  Safe Drinking Water Act

• Regulates the use of Georgia's surface and ground
  water resources for drinking water, impoundments,
  agricultural irrigation, and other
  non-agricultural uses

• Administers the Floodplain Management Program
  managing development in flood-prone areas

21
EPD Water Protection Branch

• Ensures Georgias compliance with the Federal
  Clean Water Act

• Responsible for protecting surface waters

• Regulates municipal and industrial wastewater and
  storm water discharges, Nonpoint source
  pollution, erosion and sedimentation control
  programs, and some on-site sewage systems

• Conducts monitoring and modeling of Georgia's
  waterways and develops TMDLs

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Other EPD Branches

• These EPD Branches also play an important role in
  water resources management and protection
• Geologic Survey Branch
• Hazardous Waste Management Branch
• Land Protection Branch
• Program Coordination Branch (includes EPD
  District Offices, Emergency Response Program,
  Laboratory Services and other programs)

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Other DNR Divisions

• These DNR Divisions work closely with EPD and
  address water-related issues in their particular
  program areas
• Coastal Resources Division (CRD)
• Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P2AD)
• Wildlife Resources Division (WRD)

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Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA)

• Assists state agencies, regional development
  centers and communities with growth, development
  and quality of life issues

• Assists local governments with water resources
  management through coordinated planning, spatial
  analysis and environmental management programs

25
DCAOffice of Coordinated Planning

• Reviews and approves local government
  comprehensive plans and local protection
  ordinances

• Administers DNRs Environmental Planning Criteria
  which must be part of each comprehensive plan,
  including local implementation ordinances
  required to meet minimum state standards

26
Georgia Department of Human Resources DHR

• The Environmental Health Section of DHR is
  responsible for adopting and administering
  statewide regulations for the design and
  installation of on-site sewage systems (septic
  tanks) of a certain size.

• Permitting and inspection is handled through each
  county board of health.

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Phone or Surf the Web

• The Georgia Environmental Protection Division
  (EPD) Customer Assistance line
• 404-657-5947 or 1-888-EPD-5947
• The Georgia EPD Web site http//www.georgianet.or
  g/dnr/environ/
• The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  http//www.epa.gov/
• EPA Region 4
• http//www.epa.gov/Region 4

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Surf the Web

• Georgia Department of Community Affairs
  http//www.dca.state.ga.us
• Georgia Department of Human Resources,
  Environmental Health Section http//www.ph.dhr.st
  ate.ga.us/programs/envservices/
• Georgia Water Management Campaign
  http//www.gah2o.com

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Surf the Web

• Association County Commissioners of Georgia
  http//www.accg.org
• Georgia Municipal Association
• http//www.gmanet.com
• Carl Vinson Institute of Government
  http//www.cviog.uga.edu
• Local Government Environmental Assistance
  Program http//www.lgean.org

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Acknowledgements

• This presentation was prepared by the Georgia
  Department of Community Affairs, using
  information available from the US Environmental
  Protection Agency, Georgia Environmental
  Protection Division, Association County
  Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Water
  Management Campaign.

Photo Courtesy of Georgia DITT