Pennsylvania State Water Plan Update of 2009
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STATEWIDE WATER DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCES COMMITTEE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Dear Reader: As Chairperson of the Statewide Water Resources Committee and Acting Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), we are pleased to present you with the Pennsylvania State Water Plan (Plan). The Plan is the culmination of more than five years of data gathering, analysis and research, and we believe that the Plan will prove to be a meaningful and useful tool that will benefit each and every Pennsylvanian. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the 169 members of the Statewide and Regional Water Resources Committees who graciously volunteered their time to oversee and participate in this process. Their input and expertise were invaluable to the development of the Plan, and we look forward to continuing working with them into the future. Following is the State Water Plan Principles which highlights the State Water Plan Priorities and Recommendations for Action, key components of the Plan that will carry us into the next five years and lay the groundwork for future versions of the Plan. The Plan in its entirety is also available on DEP’s worldwide Web site to further engage the public and provide the resources needed for anyone to make informed decisions about water resources management. By providing improved information to make more informed decisions, we can continue to make the commonwealth a great place to live, work and recreate, and still be surrounded by beautiful natural resources. Sincerely, Sincerely, Donald C. Bluedorn II John Hanger Chair Acting Secretary Statewide Water Resources Committee Department of Environmental Protection TABLE OF CONTENTS Page A Vision for Pennsylvania’s Future ............................................................................................... 1 Preface ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Natural Resources Protection....................................................................................................... 3 Water Use Trends – Tomorrow’s Forecast................................................................................... 5 State Water Plan Priorities.......................................................................................................... 10 Recommended Legislative Priorities ......................................................................................... 15 Recommendations for Action...................................................................................................... 16 Integrated Water Resources Management................................................................................. 23 Water Conservation and Efficiency in Pennsylvania................................................................... 26 Water Withdrawal and Use Management in Pennsylvania ......................................................... 32 Water Quality .............................................................................................................................. 40 Assessment of Navigation Needs and the Means for Restoration, Development and Improvement of Transportation by Water ...................................................... 44 An Assessment of Floodplain and Stormwater Management Problems..................................... 47 Water Supply Alternatives and Assessments ............................................................................. 61 Critical Water Planning Areas..................................................................................................... 70 Drinking Water and Wastewater Sustainable Infrastructure ....................................................... 77 Appendix A Glossary .............................................................................................................. 79 Appendix B Statewide Water Resources Committee Members .......................................Online Appendix C Regional Water Resources Committee Members .........................................Online Appendix D Development of the Water Analysis Screening Tool Used in the Initial Screening for the Pennsylvania State Water Plan Update 2008..................................................................................................Online Appendix E Guidelines for Identifying Critical Water Planning Areas...............................Online Appendix F Guidelines for Developing Critical Area Resource Plans ..............................Online - i - Appendix G Regulations Establishing Requirements for the Registration, Periodic Reporting, Recordkeeping and Monitoring of Withdrawals (Chapter 110 – Water Resources Planning...................................................Online Appendix H Pennsylvania Aquatic Species List................................................................Online Appendix I Methodology for Statewide Water Demand Forecast with Pilot Study, CDM, Nov. 2005.................................................................................Online Appendix J Water Use Factor Analysis, DEP ..................................................................Online Appendix K Residential Consumptive Use Analysis, DRBC.............................................Online Appendix L Outline of Water Use Analysis Process, Demand Side Analysis, DEP .........Online Appendix M Animal and Irrigation Water Use in Pennsylvania in 2002, 2010, and 2030, Albert R. Jarrett, Ph.D., P.E., P.L.S..............................................Online Appendix N Methodology for Establishing Golf Course Inventory for Pennsylvania and Water Use Estimates, DRBC ...........................................Online Appendix O Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Report...........................................Online Appendix P Low-Flow, Base-Flow and Mean-Flow Regression Equations for Pennsylvania Streams, USGS 2006 .............................................................Online Appendix Q Act 220 Discharge Flow Compilation (Discharge Monitoring Report [DMR]) Procedures and Database Users Manual, SRBC .............................Online Appendix R Population Projection Methodology for the Act 220 Water Plan....................Online Appendix S Assessment Matrix for Water Supply Alternatives ........................................Online - ii - A VISION FOR PENNSYLVANIA’S FUTURE Pennsylvania has abundant and magnificent the availability of water of adequate quantity water resources. These resources should and quality. The plan should be useful to those provide the basis for an exceptional quality of who wish to locate and to design their projects life for Pennsylvania’s residents, an opportunity so that the availability of water resources does for outdoor enthusiasts, an attraction for not constrain them; those who wish to preserve visitors, unparalleled natural beauty, thriving high environmental quality where it exists and ecosystems, agriculture prominence and to achieve it where it does not; local economic prosperity throughout the governments with planning, conservation and commonwealth. All those with an interest in economic development responsibilities; and Pennsylvania have a stake in the use, commonwealth and interstate compact enhancement and stewardship of the state’s agencies. This plan should serve their needs water resources. Indeed, the Pennsylvania by providing a qualitative and quantitative Constitution vests a right to pure water and the description of water resources in Pennsylvania values of the natural environment in all based upon accurate, transparent and readily Pennsylvanians, and imposes a duty to accessible data and guidance on the use of that conserve and to maintain public natural description and those data in the decisions that resources for this generation and generations face the plan’s users. The plan is a starting yet to come. point for considering the opportunities available to Pennsylvanians for managing the state’s To achieve this vision, the State Water Plan will water resources to achieve our vision for the offer tools and guidance for all those who make commonwealth. decisions that affect the commonwealth’s water resources or who make decisions based upon - 1 - PREFACE This State Water Plan replaces an outdated This is not a typical stagnant plan that will plan that was developed over an eight year become outdated the day after it is finalized. It period that ended in 1983. Although well- is a dynamic plan that will continue to evolve documented and presented, that effort and remain relevant. Federal, interstate, state eventually became irrelevant with the passage and local governments, as well as non- of time. The obsolescence of the current State governmental organizations, water utilities and Water Plan led the Department of water end-users will all play major roles in Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct a implementing and constantly improving this series of 16 water forums in the spring of 2001 plan. Actions taken to implement the that enabled people from all corners of the recommendations of this plan, and steps taken commonwealth to discuss water resource to update the plan will be documented and be needs and priorities. The forums not only instantly accessible through DEP’s worldwide helped DEP set its strategic water resources web site. This process will directly engage the management agenda, but they also generated public by seeking opinions and priorities that grass roots support for legislation to require