NGWA representatives, in collaboration with the Ground Water Protection Council, are meeting with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on June 14 to discuss the need for technical assistance in providing grants to communities to control stormwater, an important resource for aquifer recharge.
Under the Clean Water Act, EPA policy promotes stormwater infiltration to protect surface water quality without guidance on protecting groundwater quality. NGWA CEO Terry S. Morse, CAE, CIC, and NGWA Manger of Regulatory Affairs Chuck Job (pictured here left to right) will raise concerns that untreated stormwater will potentially be infiltrated in more than 1500 communities that rely on groundwater for their water supply as well as affecting nearby communities of private well owners.
Nearly half of the communities serve fewer than 10,000 people and have limited resources if they have to provide future additional treatment for their water.
Meeting with the management of the EPA Offices of Wastewater Management and Ground Water and Drinking Water, Morse and Job will ask for groundwater-protective technical assistance guidance to these communities to help them make decisions about managing stormwater.
Morse and Job are also requesting additional research on best management practices to control potential stormwater infiltration impacts to groundwater quality in a range of hydrogeologic settings.
Job is also giving a presentation that day on the same topic at the annual meeting of the Association of American State Geologists.