Drought and Water Supply Issues in

Water Supply Concerns Reduced supply - droughtIncreasing demand

Water Supply – It all Starts Here

The Natural Supply and Demand of Water Evapotranspiration Precipitation Moisture Surplus Moisture Deficit Groundwater Recharge Over 50% of precipitation is lost to evapotranspiration

Unsaturated Rock CapillaryWater Water Table SaturatedWater Saturated Rock (Aquifer) What is Groundwater? Soil well

An Example of Normal Groundwater Fluctuations During the Year

= 1000 to 5000 = 5,000 to 10,000 = 10,000 to 15,000 = > 20,000 = 15,000 to 20,000 Wells, Springs, and Other Private Water Systems 1990 Census data

Wells drilled between Average of ~15,000 new wells each year! The Added Pressure on Water Resources

Private Water Supplies in PA Total = 899,483Total = 1,083,087

Water Use Septic System Consumptive Water Use Non-Consumptive Water Use

Groundwater Mining Consumptive Water Use Treatment Plant Can result from: -removal of water -density of homes

Drought Meteorological: based solely on precipitation Agricultural: based on soil moisture Hydrologic: based on stream flow, groundwater conditions **Not correlated to air temperature

Drought Measurements Precipitation –NWS precipitation stations Streamflow –USGS monitoring stations Groundwater Levels –50+ wells throughout state Palmer Drought Index –Computed for ten divisions Reservoir Storage –Delaware River Basin

Precipitation Data

Stream Flow Monitoring Network

Ground Water Monitoring Network

observed average record low Example of Groundwater Data Available on USGS Web Site

Palmer Drought Index Long term hydrologic index Widely used (and abused) Water balance method – compares water input to water demands Complex, need 30+ years of data Values range from +6 to –6 Positive number = surplus moisture Negative number = moisture deficit Normalized to climate

Historical Palmer Drought Index in Pennsylvania (1930 – 2001) extreme severe moderate

Drought Susceptibility Cisterns (High) Streams Ponds Springs Shallow Wells Deep Wells (Low)

Drought Stages Watch - warning – emergency Each stage carries increasingly strict water use regulations Need three of five indices to agree on stage Stage recommended by Emergency Management Council Emergency declared by Governor Enforced by DEP, River Basin Commissions, police Separate declarations can be made by the River Basin Commissions to control streamflow

Managing Your Water Supply During Drought Obtain your well log if possible –Rock type, depth, yield, depth to water, etc. Keep records Identify alternate sources (private and public) Monitor your water supply –depth to water in the well –flow from springs Monitor nearby wells and streams on the web? Hire a consulting hydrogeologist? ($$) Water conservation!!

Monitoring Wells During Drought Water Level Recorder Allows accurate detection of water level Can be easily and quickly read $250 - $1,000

Planning For Your Water Needs

Recommended Flow Rates for Homes (gallons per minute) Bathrooms Bedrooms

Flow Rate (gallons per minute) Peak Use (gallons per day) Assumes relatively uniform use throughout the day Flow Rates for Livestock Production

Example gpd 2,400 gpd Hose for hydraulic waste removal (1 hr) 600 gpd Total3,000 gpd Necessary flow rate 24 gpm

Home Water Use in Pennsylvania

Water Conservation achieved by change in habit or plumbing voluntary 10% during watch and warning mandated 15% during drought emergency –ban on “non-essential” use –always controversial water rationing = last resort agriculture exempt can be difficult to enforce

Effect of Water Conservation Normal use = 72 Conservation use = 49 Total savings = 32% Low flow toilets Front- loading Low flow showerhead aerators

Pennsylvania Water Use

Pennsylvania Drinking Water Sources Public – Surface Water Private – Ground Water Public – Ground Water Total Population = 12,071,810 Per capita ~ 60 gpd

U.S. Per Capita Water Use These numbers are calculated as the total amount of water used by everyone (residential, industrial, commercial, etc.) users divided by the total population.

Pennsylvania Water Law Much debate over water use during drought Centered on “reasonable use” DRBC and SRBC permit of large users –Registration of 10,000 gpd users –Permitting of 100,000 gpd Little protection for existing sources! Agricultural uses exempt Several bills introduced to update the “State Water Plan”

Southeast PA Ground Water Protection Area Permit for 10,000 gpd for 30 days Due to Groundwater Mining

Surface Water Laws Riparian Rights doctrine –“landowners with property adjacent to or crossed by a water body have the right to use the water unchanged in quality or quantity” –i.e. nobody can use the water! Reasonable Use doctrine –Allows water to be used as long as other users are not unreasonably harmed –Reasonable use defined case-by-case –Domestic > Navigation > Other uses

Ground Water Laws American Rule –May withdraw water for any “natural and ordinary” use without regard for neighboring users –Natural and ordinary = just about anything as long as it is on the property –Established to promote economic development –Not meant to deal with disputes –Deepest well and biggest pump wins! –No guarantee of future availability

River Basin Commissions SRBC and DRBC –Issue permits for surface and groundwater withdrawal (100,000 gallons per day) –Designate Special Protection Areas –Declare drought emergencies –Develop comprehensive plan for water use –Resolve disputes??

Drought Resources on the Web PA DEP drought home page – PA State Climatologist page – Mid Atlantic River Forecasting Center – Susquehanna River Basin Commission – Delaware River Basin Commission – National Climatic Data Center – NOAA Drought Information Center – U.S. Geological Survey –