The Importance of Capacity Use
|
About eleven years ago, Mount Pleasant Waterworks began asking the state of South Carolina for a capacity use designation to protect our groundwater supply. We renewed our efforts to obtain the capacity use designation in 1995 when we learned that Nucor Steel planned to put wells into the Middendorf Aquifer to obtain process water for the steel plant they were going to construct in Berkeley County. We felt that their withdrawal could interfere with our ability to use the aquifer for our drinking water supply. We felt that since there were alternative sources for Nucor's process water, they should not be allowed to withdraw water from the aquifer. Two years ago, Mount Pleasant Waterworks addressed the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) board to again request their assistance in our efforts to protect our groundwater supply. In particular, we requested a capacity use designation for the Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester area of South Carolina. Again, we did not get the protection we requested. The DHEC board did agree to support new legislation that improves groundwater protection statues. There are two very important reasons why Mount Pleasant Waterworks wants a capacity use designation. They are:
This is pristine water. Priority for the use of this water must go for human consumption instead of machine consumption. This is especially true if there are other sources of water for industrial use. Excessive pumping of the aquifer can cause draw down in our wells, increase our cost, and reduce the amount of water we can withdraw from the aquifer. It could even cause saltwater intrusion into the aquifer, which could dramatically increase our operating cost or even cause us to abandon the aquifer as a source of drinking water. Of even greater concern is the possibility of wellhead contamination through improperly constructed wells. If a surface water supply such as a reservoir becomes contaminated, that supply can usually be flushed out. That cannot be done in an aquifer such as the Middendorf Aquifer. There is no option except to wait for the aquifer to clean itself up. Because the water in an aquifer moves so slowly, that can take years, even centuries. Contamination of the aquifer from improperly constructed wells could cause Mount Pleasant Waterworks to have to abandon the aquifer as a source of drinking water. Capacity Use will require that any new wells in the aquifer go through a permitting process. As part of that process, the well construction design will be reviewed and only approved if the design meets standards to prevent wellhead contamination. Also, appropriate hydraulic studies will be conducted to see that the withdrawals of existing users of the aquifer are protected.Our latest effort to obtain capacity use was in October 1999, when I sent a letter to Mr. Brad Wyche, the new DHEC Board Chairman, explaining why we wanted capacity use and renewing our request. Since then, we are finally making progress toward obtaining protection of our groundwater supplies. The legislation submitted two years ago is beginning to move through the Legislature and its passage looks promising. The DHEC staff has promised to conduct a study of current withdrawals from the aquifer. This study should lead to a capacity use declaration for Mount Pleasant either under the existing statutes or under the new statutes when they are passed.The commission would like to publicly thank Representative Chip Campsen for his support and for sponsoring the Groundwater Management and Reporting Act bill (H.3434). We are confident that with the passage of this bill, DHEC will be in a better position to manage the demand upon aquifers, such as the Middendorf Aquifer, supplying our community. |
