Ms. Darcia Routh, P.G. Engineering Supervisor in the Arkansas Department of Health (“ADH”) Engineering Section undertook a presentation titled Source Water Protection in Arkansas: Connecting the Public to the Science (“Presentation”) at the 60th Midwest Groundwater Conference.
The 60th Midwest Groundwater Conference was held in Bentonville, Arkansas from October 13-15 and featured over 40 speakers from a number of states.
Ms. Routh’s Presentation addressed ADH challenges in:
- Distilling highly technical information for non-experts
- Playing the role of interpreter
- Providing two examples for how the agency undertakes these tasks
A focus of such efforts are:
- Source Water Protection
- Safe Drinking Water Act
The Presentation provided a map of the various public water sources in Arkansas including:
- 131 surface intakes
- 830 wells
- 11 GWUDI
Ms. Routh described initial well recommendation (i.e., description of the location)/best aquifer to tap/how deep, site-specific stratigraphy, etc. Also described were cuttings review/grout casing rec.
An example provided during the Presentation addressed the Ozark area (Lower Ozark Aquifer) and a calculation of WHPAs.
The other example addressed was a small community leaking underground storage tank scenario which is described as a free product petroleum site. Ms. Routh discussed coordination with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality Regulated Storage Tanks Division Technical Branch and tracking progress with both the tank contractor and the agency. The discussion included a review of the technical data and water source issues at the site including risks to the relevant aquifer.
Click here to download a copy of the Presentation.
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