cassandra mckinney water resources manager … · "water is necessary for every individual to...
TRANSCRIPT
Cassandra McKinney Water Resources Manager – McHenry County, Illinois
If all the worlds water were fit into a gallon jug, the fresh water available for us to use would equal only
about one tablespoon.
• Water is necessary for every individual to survive.
• A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water.
•Humans cannot drink salt water.
Water in McHenry County,
Illinois
• Solely dependent on groundwater for all of our potable water resources
• Water supply is vulnerable to contamination -INCLUDING SALT– Geology of County has significant sand and gravel at surface.
– ¾ of counties water supply comes from shallow aquifers within 100 feet of the surface of the ground
• County is projected to grow by 190,000 people by 2030
• Groundwater shortages are predicted to occur as soon as 2020 in some of these areas
Why is it that water takes up 70% of the earth’s surface and 60% of our bodies, yet so little of our thinking?
Imagine turning the world’s water problems into opportunities!
Groundwater Protection Action Plan: Quality
Ø Winter Snow and Ice Operations
Ø Water Quality &
Pollution Prevention
QuantityØ Water Conservation
Ø Conservation Design
Quantity & QualityØ Groundwater RechargeØ Water Dependent EcosystemsØ WastewaterØ Water Supply PlanningØ Drought ManagementØ Contingency Planning
EducationEducation
Winter Snow and Ice OperationsIn Illinois:
Photo courtesy of Walt Kelly, Illinois State Water Survey
Chicago annual average snow cover: 38 inches (97 cm)
Chicago’s annual average road salt application: >270,000 tons (~155,000 MgCl2/yr)
Photo courtesy of Walt Kelly
Chicago Metropolitan Area Roads:
55,000 lane miles(2x around the world!!)
__Interstates
__Major Arteries
__Other roads
Map courtesy of Walt Kelly , data provided by Connie Fortin
IT’S NOT JUST ROADS WE SALT!
Road Salt in U.S.First applied in earnest around 1960
Graph courtesy of Illinois State Water Survey: Walt Kelly
Record highway salt sales• 2008 was a record in salt sales
– 2005 – 20.5 million tons of road salt – 2006 – 12.1 million tons– 2007 – 20.3 million tons– 2008 – 22.2 million tons
• Three of past four years were three of the four largest sales years ever (1996)
• 2010 McHenry County –– 60,000 tons ordered on the State Bid– County DOT received 12,000 tons and uses an annual
average of 9,000 tons
SOURCE: Salt Institute
Chicagoland region used 1.8 million tons of salt….How much is 1.8 million tons of salt?
Well what if we stored it in solder field?
SALT & WATERTHE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TREATING ROADS
Once in solution always in solution!
Chlorides and the Environment• Ecological Impacts
– Aquatic Life– Vegetation– Birds
• Drinking Water Impacts
Chronic standard for Chlorides:230 mg/l
= 1 teaspoon salt in 5gallons water
Acute standard:860mg/l
about 1 Tablespoon of salt in 5 gallons of water
Bluegills die @ concentrations
2,500-8,600mg/l
about 1/2 cup salt in 5 gallons of water
SALT’S EFFECT ON OUR
AQUATIC LIFE
High Quality Streams ~25 Fish Species,
Urban Streams 0 to 8 Species
*Courtesy of Connie Fortin
Chlorides in Lakes in Lake Co., IL
Data from Michael Adam, Lake Co Health Dept
Samples collected between Apr. – Oct.
Graph by Walt Kelly, Illinois State Water Survey
Road Salt: Ecological Effects• Aquatic fauna negatively impacted by high salt
concentrations– Wood frogs– Salamanders– Caddisflies– Amphipods– Trout, minnows (Cl- as low as 210 mg/L)
• Some birds may also be affected by salt consumption
*Courtesy of Connie Fortin
OVER SALTING CAN EFFECT VEGETATION TOO!
Damage to Plants & Change of Vegetation to Salt Tolerant Species
*Courtesy of Connie Fortin
Impacts to Groundwater
(Drinking Water)
Supply
• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency standard for Class I
Potable Groundwater Resource: 200 mg/L
• Elevated levels of Chlorides make water non-potable, Secondary Drinking Water Standard: 250
mg/L
• ILEPA guidelines for Aquatic Life Impairment: 500 mg/L = acute
criteria for chlorides
Chloride Standards
1 tsp. salt in 5 gal. of water=230 mg/L
Source: 2008 IL EPA Bureau of Water Integrated Water Quality Report
•Prior to 1970: 80% of wells had chlorides less than 15 mg/L (maximum natural concentration)
•After 1990 (wells <200 feet) •37% exceeded 50 mg/L and •14% exceeded 100 mg/L.
•After 1990 (wells <100 feet): •66% exceeded 50 mg/L and •34% exceeded 100 mg/L
•Chloride concentrations have been recorded in excess of 1000-3500 mg/L in several shallow monitoring wells along major roadways.
Groundwater data shows an increasing trend of groundwater degradation.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Bureau of Water. Illinois Integrated Water Quality Report and Section 303(d) List – 2008.
•More than half of the wells in DuPage, Kane, McHenry, and Will counties have Chlorides rising more than 1 mg/l/yr
• 13% have increases greater than 4 mg/l/yr.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Bureau of Water. Illinois Integrated Water Quality Report and Section 303(d) List – 2008.
Chloride rate increases:
•Of 356 community water supply wells tested:
•23% were determined to be Not Supporting (“fair”) due to significant increases of total dissolved solids and chloride
~4600 samples
Cl- in Wells < 200 ft in 6 County Region
Graph courtesy of Walt Kelly
Kane County Shallow Aquifers: Chloride
Gray areas: aquifer material within 50 ft of land surfaceGraph courtesy of Walt Kelly
Chloride Levels by County
Graph courtesy of Walt KellyGraph by Walt Kelly, Illinois State Water Survey
Winter Snow and Ice Operations:Training and Certification Program
SUSTAINABILITY
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.
LOOKING FOR THAT MAGIC BULLET?
McHenry County’s Program:McHenry County’s Program:Training and Certification…Training and Certification…
• Public and Private Sector– Municipalities and Townships– Commercial Applicators– Mom and Pop’s
• Who: – Operators, Supervisors, Schools, Commercial and
Industrial Facilities, Contracting Person, and more
Training and Certification…
• Currently a Voluntary Certification Program
• 6 PDH’s are offered
• Working towards requiring:– certification for all operators
– permitting for all storage
McHenry County
Winter Snow and Ice Control: Certified Operator
Expires October 2012
Goals:• Teach:
– Sensible salting• Application Rates• Pavement Temps• Treatment Options • Calibration• And more…
– Proper storage and handling– Levels of service– Environmental Impacts
Fall 2009 Training• McHenry County held three six hour classes
• Trained and Certified – Municipalities– Townships– Private Operators– County Operators– Schools– Companies that sell salt
Groundwater Protection Action PlanModel Policy
• Section 8: Winter Snow and Ice Operations– Storage and Handling
– Application
– Training and Certification
Water Resources Website! •Groundwater Protection Action Plan
•Children’s Activities
•Teacher Lesson Plans
•Residents Brochures
•Businesses
•Municipalities Model Policies
•Generalwww.mchenryh2o.com
Questions?
Cassandra McKinney Water Resource Manager
McHenry County Government 2200 N. Seminary AvenueWoodstock, IL 60098-2637
Phone: (815) 334-4213Fax: (815) 338-3991
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mchenryh2o.com