Milford Borough - Milford Township Comprehensive Plan Water Supply and Sewage Disposal-1 WATER SUPPLY AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL Water Supply How much groundwater do we have? Groundwater is the source for all potable water in the Most people are surprised to learn that almost all of Milford Planning Area and its protection is one of the the world unfrozen fresh water exists under the paramount issues facing the community. The Planning ground. Pennsylvania, having a humid climate, has Area and all of Pike County have been blessed with a a lot of water in streams, lakes, and wetlands. But clean and plentiful supply of this priceless resource. Pennsylvania has much more fresh groundwater Without clean water, and the healthy environment from than surface water – more than thirty times as which it derives, the quality of life would suffer much. Pumping all of Pennsylvania’s groundwater dramatically. In addition, a clean and plentiful water onto the surface would cover the entire state with supply is an immeasurable asset in terms of supporting more than eight feet of water! the local economy. Recent studies have shown reason for concern about groundwater water quality in the Planning Area, and residents and local officials must to range from 10,000,000 to 13,500,000 gallons per take all necessary actions to protect this vital day. component of the Milford community. Engineers typically use an estimate of 250 gallons per All of Milford Borough and adjoining areas of Milford day per dwelling unit when designing water systems Township are served by the Borough of Milford and, applying this factor to the number of dwelling Municipal Authority system which relies on springs for units in the Planning Area yield an estimated 300,000 its source. Several residential developments in the gallons per day in residential water use. Commercial Township, Moon Valley Falls, Milford Town Green water use would add additional amounts, but the total and Wheatfield Village for example, are served by is well below the estimated recharge rate. private community systems with wells. The balance of the Township is served by private individual wells. However, this is not to suggest that residents and local officials should ignore the important issues of The amount of groundwater use will increase in concert localized groundwater supplies and groundwater with the amount of development. Given the Planning conservation. This is particularly important as Area’s regional location, the long term development development occurs. Wells near large water uses can pattern is expected to follow much the same path as the be drawn down resulting in inadequate supply. last twenty years. The primary type of development Increases in impervious areas such as buildings, will be residential with a higher proportion of full-time driveways and roads inevitably leads to more residences and more retail and service businesses. Few stormwater runoff and less groundwater recharge. In industrial or manufacturing facilities using high addition, given the characteristics of aquifers, volumes of water are anticipated in the Milford development in the region can also effect local Planning Area given the paucity of sites for such groundwater availability. Simply stated, groundwater development, the high cost of land, the continuing availability is a regional issue and adequate supply is emergence of Pike County as a bedroom community, not a valid reason for postponing or avoiding action to and the availability of sites in improved business parks ensure continued adequate supply. in the greater region. Groundwater Quantity Based on available studies (see the Groundwater Recharge Rates Sidebar), with long term consumption primarily residential, and large areas of undeveloped land for recharge, it appears that the overall supply of groundwater in the Planning Area and all of Pike County will be adequate for quite some time. Based on a total land area of some 13.5 square miles, average Well Drilling Rig groundwater recharge in the Planning Area is estimated Community Planning & Management, LLC and Shepstone Management Company 06.06 Milford Borough - Milford Township Comprehensive Plan Water Supply and Sewage Disposal-2 Groundwater Overview Groundwater Recharge Rates • Three often misunderstood facts - In 1989, the Pennsylvania Topographic and • Groundwater is part of the hydrologic cycle Geologic Survey estimates in Water Resources and is directly linked to lakes and streams. Report 65, Groundwater Resources of Pike County, • During periods of low flow, much of the water Pennsylvania, that in Pike County the average in streams is groundwater. groundwater discharge is estimated to be about 635 • As the amount of stormwater runoff increases, (gal/min)/mi2, twice the amount estimated for most less recharge occurs and stream flow can be areas of Pennsylvania. Based on this, groundwater affected. recharge in is about 900,000 gallons per day per square mile of land area.1 • Groundwater occurs in joints, bedding planes, faults and other fractures in the bedrock. In 1964, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that a conservative estimate for recharge in the • In glacial deposits, water is stored and moves Highlands of the Delaware River Basin was through the intergranular openings. 750,000 gpd/sq mi.2 • Rocks that are capable of yielding usable supplies In 1982, a Delaware River Basin study of the Upper of water to wells or springs are called aquifers. Delaware Basin reported: • Most of the annual groundwater recharge is • a recharge rate of about 1,000,000 gpd/sq mi for transmitted through local flow paths and is the Upper Pocono Plateau.3 discharged to nearby streams and lakes. • normal year recharge rates in the Upper and • In the case of Milford Springs, water from Sawkill Lower Pocono Plateaus range from 900,000 to Creek and Vantine Brook flows into the aquifer. 1,000,000 gpd/sq mi.4 • Although most groundwater is relatively shallow, • during a normal year, recharge to the Catskill there is some deeper flow, and the deeper wells formation, which underlies Pike County, is may reach the deeper flow systems. about 930,000 gpd/sq mi.5 • Precipitation, evapotranspiration, groundwater discharge to streams, and water withdrawals affect groundwater levels. 1Water Resources Report 65, Groundwater Resources of Pike County, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Water Quality Topographic and Geologic Survey, D. K. Davis, 1989, p. No less important is the issue of water quality. The 11. potential for groundwater contamination is always present. Bacterial contamination can occur from 2Water Resources of the Delaware River Basin, malfunctioning on-lot sewage systems or poor livestock Geological Survey Professional Paper 381, U.S. husbandry, hydrocarbons can eventually reach Department of the Interior, Parker, Garald G, et. al., 1964, groundwater from oil spills or leaking storage tanks, p. 91. nitrates and chloride can infiltrate as run-off from roads 3 and parking lots, sewage systems, and farm fields. Special Groundwater Study of the Upper Similar to supply conservation, quality protection must Delaware River Basin Study Area III, Volume I , be addressed. In the case of Milford Springs, turbid Delaware River Basin Commission, Wright Associates, water entered the sand and gravel aquifer directly R.E., 1982, p. 3-10. through the highly permeable floor of a quarry during 4Special Groundwater Study of the Upper a heavy rain and flowed underground through the Delaware River Basin Study Area III, Volume II , unconsolidated aquifer to the Springs. The Sawkill Delaware River Basin Commission, Wright Associates, Creek loses water to the aquifer just upgradient of the R.E., 1982, p. 8-3. Springs potentially facilitating the rapid transfer of turbidity or contaminants to the water supply. 5Ibid. Community Planning & Management, LLC and Shepstone Management Company 06.06 Milford Borough - Milford Township Comprehensive Plan Water Supply and Sewage Disposal-3 Water Bearing Geology The Hydrologic Cycle in Pennsylvania Each year on an average, 41 inches of precipitation falls in Pennsylvania. Six inches of that enters streams and lakes directly either as surface runoff or as flow that enters streams from the unsaturated zone under the land surface. Twenty inches returns to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration. The remaining fifteen inches infiltrates the soil and moves downward to the zone of saturation to recharge groundwater, a recharge rate of about thirty-seven percent. (See Hydrologic Cycle Figure.) How Groundwater Moves Groundwater, like surface water, is constantly on the move. However, groundwater moves much slower-at rates ranging from feet per day to inches per year depending on the type of soil or rock through which it is moving. The natural movement of groundwater is from upland recharge areas to lowland discharge areas -- points where the water table meets the land surface, such as springs, lakes, streams, and wetlands. Most water seeping into the soil moves only a few miles to the point where it is discharged; in most instances it stays within the same watershed. Groundwater discharging into streams provides the water that keeps streams flowing year round. Except for a short time during and after rain storms and snow melt, all the water in a stream is provided by groundwater seeping through stream banks and stream beds. This is called base flow. From points of recharge to points of discharge, groundwater moves slowly through small openings in rocks and soil and usually in parallel paths (i.e., layers). Generally