Water Quality: Source Water Protection for Domestic Wells
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015 | 9:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Speakers: Steve Wilson, Groundwater Hydrologist, State Water Survey, University of Illinois
Mr. Wilson will give an overview of the Best Practices Manual for Outreach & Education to Private Well Owners, which was created to provide field practitioners suggestions, ideas and best practices for engaging and educating private well owners.
In a separate presentation, he will also discuss a national program for outreach and education to private well owners.
James W. Weaver, Research Hydrologist, U.S. EPA
Mr. Weaver works on subsurface contaminant transport, leaking underground storage tanks and their impacts on drinking water supplies. He will discuss environmental and demographic factors affecting domestic well usage in Oklahoma.
Wilson Mize, North Carolina DHHS-DPH
Mr. Mize will present about North Carolina's private drinking water well program as well as the local health department's challenges and successes with the program.
More Information
For more on this session, to download a full agenda and abstracts, or to view hotel and registration information, visit www.gwpc.org/events.
Federal News
President Signs HR 212, Amending Safe Drinking Water Act
President Obama signed an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act earlier this month that directs the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and submit a strategic plan to Congress for assessing and managing risks associated with algal toxins in drinking water provided by public water systems.
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, have the ability to produce cyanotoxins, or algal toxins. When certain conditions are favorable, algae can rapidly multiply causing blooms, or dense surface scums, that may be toxic.
Study Explores Groundwater and Geothermal Energy in Drought Areas of the West
(National Groundwater Association)
A new study now underway by the U.S. Geological Survey is exploring the groundwater resources and geothermal energy potential in drought-stricken areas of eastern Oregon and nearby parts of California, Idaho, and Nevada.
Volcanoes are associated with vast amounts of geothermal energy and lava flows from many of the Pacific Northwest’s most important aquifers—potentially the only reliable source of high-quality water during periods of drought.
“The research encompasses large areas that have been under drought conditions for several years and data acquired by the study will aid water managers in their efforts to meet the needs of water users in these areas,” said Erick Burns, USGS scientist and project chief for this study. Full Story
Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup: Public Listening Session
The public is invited to join a webinar to provide early input on updating priorities for collaborative efforts to manage freshwater resources in a changing climate.
The webinar will be held on Sept. 9, 2015, from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. (ET) and will comprise over a dozen federal agencies interested in the management of the nation's water resources. The work group was formed in 2009 and published the National Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate in 2011. The work group is now evaluating priority actions for coming years and is seeking early public input.
To join the Webinar meeting: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/nap-climate/
Audio Conference Number(s): 1-866-299-3188, code 202-564-0734# [automatically connected when signing into the webinar]
Documents you may want to review prior to the meeting include:
EPA chief: Colorado river hit by mine waste back to pre-spill quality
(Reuters)
The water quality of a southwestern Colorado river rendered bright orange by toxic waste spewed from an abandoned gold mine one week ago has returned to pre-spill levels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief said on Wednesday.
The statement from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, whose agency has assumed responsibility for inadvertently causing the spill, came as Colorado health officials cleared the way for the city of Durango, just downstream, to reopen its drinking water intakes from the river. Full Story
GWPC Staff Profile
Mike Nickolaus
Special Projects Director
Mike has over thirty years of geologic experience, including twenty years as a state regulatory official. He is responsible for the coordination of activities to support state UIC programs including project development, presentation preparation, technical document preparation and review, and special report development in areas such as arsenic contamination in ground water, environmental regulations for oil and gas exploration and production, and CO2 geo-sequestration. Mike is the lead staff person for FracFocus.
Upcoming Events
GWPC Annual Forum
Oklahoma City, OK
September 27th-30th, 2015
Hotel information:
Courtyard by Marriott-Bricktown
