Water Infrastructure Advisory Council public hearing and meeting set for Wednesday, April 20 in Dover

DOVER – The Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council (WIAC) will hold a public hearing, followed by a council meeting, beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 20 at the Kent County Administrative Complex, Conference Room 220, 555 S. Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901.

Agendas:

Public hearing:
Draft Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) FY 2016 Project Priority Lists (PPL) and Intended Use Plans (IUP)

  • Call to order
  • Overview – Draft CWSRF and DWSRF FY 2016 PPLs and IUPs
  • WIAC comments
  • Public comments
  • Public record to remain open until May 23, 2016
  • Adjourn

Council meeting:

  • Call to order
  • Approval of agenda
  • Approval of Feb. 17 meeting minutes
  • WIAC Updates
    • Asset Management presentation, Town of Millsboro
    • Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Assessment follow-up
    • Overview of MS4s and community requirements
    • Clean Water and Flood Abatement Task Force update
    • Robert Palmer, acting director for Division of Watershed Stewardship
  • New business
    • WIAC vote to recommend draft FY 2016 CWSRF and DWSRF PPLs and IUPs
    • State Revolving Fund project affordability criteria for investor-owned utilities – Tidewater Utilities
    • Wastewater Matching Planning Grant requests
    • Drinking Water Asset Management Planning Grant Incentive requests
    • Drinking Water Innovative and Technology Grant request – City of Newark
    • Drinking Water Planning Grant Extension request – Fort DuPont
    • Community Water Quality Improvement Grant requests
    • Surface Water Matching Planning Grant – various items
  • Reports
    • Administrators’ reports:
    • CWSRF project status update
    • CWSRF – DWSRF financial reports (cash flow models)
  • Subcommittees’ Reports
    • Wastewater
    • Drinking water
    • Surface water management
    • Finance
  • Public comment
  • Next WIAC meeting date and adjourn

For more information about the WIAC, please call 302-739-9941

Media Contact: Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No.118


Citizens Source Water Protection Committee to meet May 4 in Dover

DOVER – The Source Water Protection Citizens and Technical Advisory Committee (CTAC) of the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program will meet from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, May 4, in Conference Room 220 A&B of the Kent County Administrative Offices at 555 South Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901.

The agenda includes:

  • An update on recent source water projects and initiatives in Delaware;
  • A presentation by State Geologist David Wunsch on the National Ground Water Monitoring Network;
  • A presentation from Dr. Holly Michael of the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment on seawater intrusion; and
  • A presentation by Dr. Thomas McKenna on “Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Groundwater Resources in the Delaware Coastal Plain.”

For more information about the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program, including a full agenda for this meeting, please visit http://delawaresourcewater.org, or contact Program Manager Anita Beckel at 302-739-9945.

Delaware’s Source Water Assessment Plan was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October 1999. The program is charged with delineating source water areas around all sources of public drinking water in the state, identifying all existing and potential sources of contamination within those areas and making the information available to the public. The Source Water Protection Law of 2001 maintains the CTAC as an advisory committee to the Secretary of DNREC on the implementation of the Source Water Assessment Plan and closely related matters.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 11


DNREC Water Supply Section proposed well regulations public hearing set for Monday, Feb. 1 in Dover

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Water and Water Supply Section will conduct a public hearing Monday, Feb. 1 regarding proposed amendments to 7 DE Admin. Code 7301, Regulations Governing the Construction and Use of Wells. The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. in the DNREC Auditorium of the Richardson & Robbins Building, located at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE, 19901.

DNREC’s Water Supply Section intends to modernize well construction regulations which have not been modified since 1997, and to streamline the process for addressing well construction and well siting problems. DNREC has held four workshops ahead of the hearing to gather public input and for fostering discussion about the proposed changes to the well construction regulations. In addition, the Department participated on several committees (both internal and external) that provided suggested revisions to the regulations while also reviewing the proposed revisions.

Major changes in the proposed amendments to Delaware’s well regulations are:

  • The addition of new water well types
  • Technology changes,
  • Incorporation of online permit application and related electronic options
  • Aligning with related regulations
  • Clarification of special permit requirements such as for emergencies
  • Updating regulatory language to meet several legislative bills regarding advertising and issuance of well permits within water service areas (Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity), and
  • Incorporation of guidelines and policies to account for industry modernization and practices.

The proposed amendments to Delaware’s Regulations Governing the Construction and Use of Wells were published in the Delaware Registrar of Regulations on Jan. 1, 2016, and are available for public review at http://regulations.delaware.gov/register/january2016/index.shtml. For more information or to make an appointment to inspect the proposed regulation amendments in person at our Dover office, please contact the Water Supply Section at 302-739-9944.

Comment about the proposed regulatory amendments for wells may be made by via email to lisa.vest@delaware.gov or through USPS sending to: Lisa Vest, Hearing Officer, DNREC, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Comments may be made any time prior to the hearing, or either orally or in writing at the Feb. 1 hearing. Comments must be limited to the proposed amendments to 7 DE Admin. Code 7301, as noted above.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 22


Citizens Source Water Protection Committee to meet Nov. 4 in Dover

DOVER – The Source Water Protection Citizens and Technical Advisory Committee (CTAC) of the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program will meet from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Nov. 4 in Conference Room 220 A&B of the Kent County Administrative Offices, 555 South Bay Road in Dover, DE 19901.

The agenda includes:

  • An update on recent source water projects and initiatives in Delaware;
  • A presentation by DNREC Secretary David Small;
  • A presentation from Steven Smailer, DNREC Wetlands & Subaqueous Lands Section administrator, on the Town of Bethany Beach’s Aquifer Monitoring and Management Strategy;
  • A presentation by Artesian Water Company on “The Real Cost of Water – from Source to Tap”; and
  • A presentation by Michael Brayton, U.S. Geological Survey, on the conceptual model of deeper groundwater flow within the Delaware City industrial area.

For more information about the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program, including a full agenda for this meeting, please visit http://delawaresourcewater.org, or contact Program Manager Anita Beckel at 302-739-9945.

Delaware’s Source Water Assessment Plan was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October 1999. The program is charged with delineating source water areas around all sources of public drinking water in the state, identifying all existing and potential sources of contamination within those areas and making the information available to the public. The Source Water Protection Law of 2001 maintains the CTAC as an advisory committee to the Secretary of DNREC on the implementation of the Source Water Assessment Plan and closely related matters.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 45, No. 359


Citizens Source Water Protection Committee to meet May 6 in Dover

DOVER – The Source Water Protection Citizens and Technical Advisory Committee (CTAC) of the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program will meet from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, May 6 in Conference Room 220 A&B of the Kent County Administrative Offices, 555 South Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901. The focus of this meeting will be on the topic of nutrients in drinking water.

The agenda includes the following items:

  • An update on recent source water projects and initiatives in Delaware;
  • A presentation by John Barndt of DNREC’s Division of Water on Updates to the Delaware Regulations Governing the Construction and Use of Wells;
  • A presentation from John Cargill of DNREC’s Site Investigation and Restoration Section on the WATAR Watershed Assessment Tool; and
  • A presentation by Michael Brayton, U.S. Geological Survey, on the conceptual model of deeper groundwater flow within the Delaware City Industrial Area.

For more information about the Source Water Assessment and Protection Program, including a full agenda for this meeting, please visit http://delawaresourcewater.org, or contact Program Manager Anita Beckel at 302-739-9945.

Delaware’s Source Water Assessment Plan was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October 1999. The program is charged with delineating source water areas around all sources of public drinking water in the state, identifying all existing and potential sources of contamination within those areas and making the information available to the public. The Source Water Protection Law of 2001 maintains the CTAC as an advisory committee to the Secretary of DNREC on the implementation of the Source Water Assessment Plan and closely related matters.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 45, No. 94