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From the Duck Hotline: Report on the October 1 Meeting of the Reconstituted WRAC

While a number of staff people from the County were there along with someone from LaPlata, the Indian Head base, and MDE, citizens-at-large were underrepresented at the October 1 meeting of WRAC.  Elmer Biles (representing small private water companies) and Larry Wooster (representing well drillers) were the only citizen member representatives there.  The individual well owner representative was absent, and the public water system spot from the County’s ‘urban” areas remains unfilled. 

Jason Groth convened the meeting shortly after 10:10.  a.m.  The bulk of the meeting, which lasted until nearly noon (these customarily end at 11:30) was devoted to the issue of back-up generators at County-owned wells.  After much back and forth, the committee agreed to recommend that the County Utilities department develop a capital improvement project request for fiscal year 2011 (starting 07/10) to #1 install connections for portable generators at some (undetermined) number of wells, #2 purchase one additional backup portable generator (it now has one), and #3 install permanent backup generators at some (undetermined) number of wells (6 of the County’s wells currently have such generators). 

Additionally, the committee appeared poised to recommend that Charles County join the recently developed “Maryland Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement for Intrastate Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network” or “WARN.” This was explained as a mechanism to facilitate sharing of personnel and equipment in the event of emergencies, much like that already in place in the electric power industry.  Various staff members on the committee as well as the MDE representative in attendance said that joining the WARN system would do much to address the backup generator issue.  It was also noted that MDE does require backup generators for pumping stations in order to avoid sewage spills, but does not require backup generators at wells.

The issue of the County’s response to the DNR decision to refuse to transfer the Chapman State Park wells and the land they are on to the County got virtually no attention.  At the very end of the meeting Jason announced that the County had sent a letter of protest to the Governor.  No copies were available and when asked he said that is was a public document but “highly sensitive” and that a FOIA request might need to be made.  (Note: this is the first time I ever recall a water-related document being withheld in this fashion.  While I have not seen this letter, I understand that 1) the County claims that the State made a commitment to transfer the wells to the County and 2) the County says that if the State refuses to transfer the wells, the State should give the County $960,000 to drill new ones.  If anyone has a copy of this letter or additional information about what it contains, it would be good to share that around.)

Another important topic which got virtually no attention is the fact that the Maryland Geological Survey’s 2009 report on ground-water levels in the MGS observation wells in Charles County was made available to everyone attending the meeting.  The report shows two important things:

First, the County’s efforts to relieve pressure on the Lower Patapsco aquifer in the north and northwest parts of the County have been successful —“Increasing water levels in the Lower Patapsco aquifer were observed for the second consecutive year in wells in the far north and northwestern parts of the county…”  These efforts (including one by Indian Head prompted by MDE) include the following:
#1.  The recent shift by the County to the Patuxent aquifer for most parts of Bryans Road
#2.  The fact that Indian Head is drilling (or has drilled) a well into the Patuxent, and plans on shifting much of its water use to that aquifer, something that will help ease pressure on the Lower Patapsco in western Charles County.
#3.  The fact that Strawberry Hills pipegrid interconnet has been authorized, something that will further ease the pressure on the Lower Patapsco in the NW corner of the county (and the Moyaone).
#4.  Use of WSSC water on the western side of Waldorf further relieves pressure on the Lower Patapsco.  This is also helpful to NW Charles County (and the Moyaone).

Second, at the same time, “In all regions of the Patuxent aquifer, water levels continue to decline, with slightly decelerating declines in wells of the Bryans Road area….”  Whether this is because of the shift to the Patuxent as noted in points 1-3 above was not discussed.  However, MGS representatives will come to the next WRAC meeting Thursday morning Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. to give a thorough briefing, and this is one point which is certain to be explored. 

These WRAC meetings are open to the public.  I recommend that interested people make every attempt to come to this next meeting, since it will be an unusually good opportunity to get the best factual information available about the groundwater situation in Charles County.  It will be in the County Administration Building in LaPLata.  Ask for directions when you sign in.

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