Make a New Years' Source Water Resolution
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This issue of “The Clarifier” is published by the Kansas Rural Water Association and is provided to water and wastewater utilities, associate members, agencies and other friends. Have a comment? Send it to KRWA at P.O. Box 226, Seneca, KS 66538; ph. 785/336-3760; e-mail: [email protected]. This newsletter is in addition to KRWA’s regular news magazine, The Kansas Lifeline. December 2016 Vol. 5 Make a New Years’ Source Water Resolution he Kansas Rural Water Association has T provided, at no charge, to public water supply systems, source water protection technical assistance since 1996. The first wellhead protection plan written with KRWA assistance and adopted by a public water supply system appears to have occurred in 1999. There have been several different staff members doing this work for the last 20 years, but none have had a longer tenure than geologist Doug Helmke. Doug started working for KRWA in 2000, to provide water rights assistance, and a few years later, started working in the Environmental Protection Agency-funded wellhead protection program which is This municipal well has soybeans planted within the 100-foot "pollution-free" administered through the National Rural easement. The lack of grass around the well pad suggests that a herbicide has been Water Association. Water rights assistance sprayed very close to the well and the water level measurement tube. The landowner continued to be an important service will be given information about agricultural buffers that may help his tenant and offered in conjunction with wellhead chemical applicators respect the public water supply system's easement. protection planning. Protection of surface water quality was at one time called Dickinson RWD 1, Republic RWD 1, City of source water protection to differentiate it Jetmore, Leavenworth RWD 9, City of In ThIs Issue... from groundwater protection, but that Columbus, City of Logan, City of Stockton, N Make a New Year's Source Water Resolution terminology now is used to describe City of Olsburg, and Marshall RWD 3 for protection of all drinking water sources. working on or completing their source N Looming Water Right Deadlines – Extensions and Water Use Reports At the present time, KRWA has two staff water protection plans this year. members working in source water Looking forward, KRWA hopes to make N Operator Refresher Course at protection. A second position, funded by 2017 even more successful. But to do so, Emporia the U.S. Department of Agriculture five water systems need to resolve to N KRWA's 2017 Annual Conference through the National Rural Water create a written plan which identifies the & Exhibition Association was offered to KRWA earlier actions it can take to reduce the risk of N National Rural Water Association this year. This position was filled by contamination and other water supply Establishes Apprenticeship Program geologist Ken Kopp. Ken worked at the interruptions. We haven’t heard a N Filing Woes'! How Long Do We Need Kansas Department of Agriculture’s legitimate excuse to not adopt a plan in to Maintain Water Records? Division of Water Resources for the years since KRWA started working in N Well Contamination Incident in approximately 23 years and brings an even this endeavor, so if your system doesn’t North-Central Kansas stronger background in Kansas water have a protection plan, resolve to make rights to KRWA. Working together, the 2017 the year in which it gets done. Call source water protection and water rights us. KRWA staff – with professional and programs at KRWA have never been institutional knowledge, are ready to hit stronger. KRWA has had a very successful the ground running for your city or rural 2016. Congratulations and thank you to water district. December 2016 Clarifier 1 Looming Water Right Deadlines – Extensions and Water Use Reports he window is quickly closing on the time to complete diversion works or perfect water rights, if your deadline to Tdo so expires on December 31, 2016. If you fall into one of these two categories, your water system should have received a certified reminder letter from the Division of Water Resources (DWR) earlier this fall. Completion and perfection extension deadlines are set forth by Kansas statute. Therefore, DWR’s Chief Engineer has very little authority to accept late extension requests. If your water system received permission to construct new diversion works, either with a new permit or a with an authorized change to an existing water right, the time to complete diversion works will generally be the balance of the year in which the permit was issued, plus one year. Your specific deadline will be included in DWR’s approval documents. Completion of the diversion works means that all equipment is in place to bring water under control for delivery to the distribution system, including the well, pump, power unit, Water systems have one year to complete diversion works or to power source, dam (if authorized) and any other equipment perfect water rights. If it is not possible to complete the diversion required as a condition of the permit, such as a check valve, works before the deadline, then the system should file a request water level measurement tube and water flowmeter. If it is not for an extension of time to do so as soon as possible. such possible to complete the diversion works before the deadline, requests are required to be filed by December 31. This photo then the system should file a request for an extension of time to shows a municipal water well under construction in central do so as soon as possible. Such requests are required to be filed Kansas. by December 31. If diversion works were constructed as authorized, the system DWR required water flowmeters must be read monthly and at must notify the Chief Engineer of those actions by filing a notice the end of the calendar year. That information must then be of completion form, which provides DWR with details about the used to submit annual water use data to the office of the Chief completed diversion works, such as where an authorized well Engineer. Water use report forms will be mailed by DWR shortly was actually constructed and what kind of flowmeter was after January 1 and water use data is required to be submitted installed. to DWR by March 1. Systems are encouraged to submit their Perfection periods for public water suppliers are generally 20 annual water use data online, through DWR’s online water use years following the approval of a new application. Since Kansas portal. Simply navigate your web browser to water rights are based on actual use, the perfection period is http://kswaterusereport.org/. The paper form systems receive the time in which to fully develop the water right by from DWR will include the system’s unique Pin and Person ID, demonstrating that the maximum rate and quantity, place of which will be required to log into the portal. The online system use, and other aspects of the approved permit, are reasonable was designed to look as much as possible like the paper forms. as authorized. As with completion deadlines, perfection periods DWR will still accept the traditional paper water use report may also be extended, provided an extension is received before forms, but systems should submit their information either the end of the authorized perfection period. The Chief Engineer electronically or by paper form, but not both. Failure to file the generally allows such extensions in five-year increments for water use information before March 1 will result in a fine, which “municipal” permits, but the total time to perfect generally can vary based on the date when delinquent water use cannot exceed 40 years. Once the perfection period expires, information is finally submitted and the number of file numbers DWR staff will issue a draft certificate for review by the water for which water use was delinquent. right holder. It is very important to review and understand the As a reminder, water systems must also notify DWR information contained in DWR’s draft certificate to ensure that immediately whenever they replace or repair a malfunctioning the water right is represented correctly before DWR issues a DWR required (master) water flowmeter. The system will need final certificate. to document the meter’s make and model, as well as the date 2 Clarifier December 2016 Kansas Rural Water Association the system personnel became aware of the meter malfunction, the date the meter was removed, the meter’s register reading at the time the meter was removed and information about the replaced or repaired flowmeter and when it was reinstalled. The system must also keep alternate records of the amount of water diverted while the meter was out of compliance. A detailed form for this purpose is available on the DWR Web site. This information must be submitted to your local DWR field office within 30 days of replacement or repair of a required water flowmeter. KRWA’s water rights specialists, Ken Kopp and Doug Helmke, will be glad to visit with anyone regarding these DWR requirements and assist cities and water districts, engineering firms or others with any water right issues. Email to Doug Water systems are encouraged to submit their annual water use data online through at [email protected] or to Ken at DWR’s online water use portal. simply navigate your web browser to [email protected]. http://kswaterusereport.org/. Operator Refresher Course at Emporia – and Exam n Wednesday, December 14, the Kansas Rural Water n Review of plans required by KDHE, including Emergency Association will provide an excellent opportunity for water Operations Plan, Cross-Connection Control Program, Oand wastewater operators preparing to take the operator Bacteriological Sampling Plan certification exam by hosting review and refresher courses at n Safety Issues and procedures (safety hazards, chemical Emporia.