by Sam Radford, Wellhead Protection Program Coordinator and Laura Johnson, Integrated Report and TMDL Coordinator, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
The spotlight is on Nebraska as the EPA recently approved
the Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) Plan. The BGMA Plan is the first
groundwater focused plan in the nation to address nonpoint source pollution.
The plan is the result of a collaborative effort to reduce groundwater nitrate
contamination between the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ)
and four of Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs): Lewis and Clark,
Lower Elkhorn, Lower Niobrara, and the Upper Elkhorn. The approval of this plan
provides NRDs, Communities, and other Public Water Systems (PWS) an innovative
framework to build upon, and new funding sources to protect the BGMA Wellhead
Protection (WHP) Areas, as well as WHP Areas across the state.
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| Figure 1 |
The BGMA covers 756 square miles in northeast Nebraska and
is home to 10 communities and over 7,000 residents (see Figure 1). Groundwater in the BGMA is the only drinking water
source for communities and rural residents. Extensive row crop and sandy soils have
allowed nitrate from land applied manure and commercial fertilizer to leach
into the groundwater. The NRDs have collected data on groundwater nitrate
concentrations since 1980. During that time, average nitrate concentrations
have increased with some areas exceeding 30 mg/L, three times the levels safe
for drinking water.
The plan focuses on reducing groundwater nitrate levels below
10 mg/L by progressively adopting more protective Best Management Practices
(BMPs) throughout the BGMA. Community Wellhead Protection Areas are listed as
the highest project funding priority. The NRDs will utilize a combination of
agricultural BMPs required by elevated Groundwater Management plan phases, and
voluntary BMPs outlined in the BGMA plan that go above and beyond phase
requirements. Through the development of the BGMA Plan, the NRDs have created a
cohesive strategy to monitor nitrate reductions in groundwater as fertilizer
practices and irrigation methods are improved in the area. This monitoring data
will also further refine future versions of the BGMA plan to ensure its goals
are achieved.
To truly understand the significance of this plan, one must
understand the history of water laws in Nebraska as well as at the federal
level. In the past, groundwater and surface water were thought to be two
separate water sources and were therefore regulated by separate water laws. At
the federal level, the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 charged the US EPA to
regulate point source pollution to surface water. While the CWA began to
successfully reduce point source contamination, it failed to effectively address
nonpoint source contamination. In 1987, the CWA was amended, and the Section
319 Nonpoint Source Management Program was established to improve federal
leadership and support, and focus local efforts on voluntarily reducing
nonpoint source contamination (EPA 2016). Even with the 1987 amendment, the CWA
act did not directly speak to groundwater, leaving management of groundwater
resources to the states. Nebraska has been managing and regulating groundwater
resources through the NRDs since the mid ‘70s. However, the hydrologic
connection between surface and groundwater wasn’t legally recognized until
1996.This acknowledgement has led Nebraska to collaborative efforts that
address nonpoint source contamination from a different perspective than what is
generally found at the federal level.
The BGMA plan is the first EPA approved plan in the nation
to address nonpoint source groundwater quality problems using the Clean Water
Act. This is a milestone for communities who have struggled to obtain funding
for projects that seek to educate and inform residents and local producers; and
implement BMPs targeted at reducing nonpoint source groundwater pollution in
their Wellhead Protection Areas. Until now, CWA Section 319 funding was only
used on projects that address impairments in surface water or in areas that
were listed as priority areas in a NRD’s watershed management plan. While more
and more WHP areas are being targeted in watershed management plans, the BGMA
plan is the first to address it from the standpoint of groundwater and to make
WHP areas a priority for project funding.
Nebraska is unique in that approximately 88% of the state’s
residents, and nearly all rural residents, primary source of drinking water
comes from groundwater (NDEQ 2015). The geology, hydrology, and depth to
groundwater determine how susceptible groundwater aquifers are to
contamination. For example, sandy soils, little or no protective surface layers
(i.e. clay or glacial till), and/or high groundwater tables leave drinking
water aquifers especially vulnerable to point and nonpoint source contamination.
The rate of groundwater movement ranges from inches per year(s) to inches per
decade(s) compared to surface water which moves inches per day(s) to week(s) to enter surface waterbodies.
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| Table 1 |
Nonpoint source groundwater nitrate contamination is one of
the most prevalent nonpoint source contaminants in Nebraska. It puts a heavy
financial burden on communities and their Public Water Systems, as the only way
to remove nitrate from drinking water is through treatment. In the last 20
years, five PWS and landowners with private wells in the BGMA have spent over
$9 million dollars on treatment (see Table
1). This amount includes the cost of facility operations and maintenance
(O&M) and point of use (POU) treatment systems for domestic well owners.
Ultimately, the cost of treatment and O&M falls on the 4,201 residents that
reside in the five affected communities and land owners in the surrounding
area. In the future, the cost of treatment will only increase if the source of
contamination is not addressed (NDEQ 2016). Nitrate contamination is prevalent
throughout Nebraska and many other communities are dealing with the same
problems as those in the BGMA (see Figure 2).
This is just one example of why the work that has been done and will continue
to be done in the BGMA is so important. Hopefully, the plan will pave the way
for many other NRDs and communities to better respond to and manage nonpoint
source contamination, especially in WHP areas.
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| Figure 2 |
The approval of the BGMA plan by the EPA has provided an
entirely new source of funding that wasn’t previously available for groundwater
and drinking water protection efforts. Since the creation of Nebraska’s voluntary
Wellhead Protection Program, communities and PWS across the state have had the
ability to create WHP protection plans to protect their drinking water sources.
These plans identify possible sources of contamination in the WHP area and lay
out management strategies to address sources of contaminants. The ultimate goal
is to implement on-the-ground activities such as BMPs and education and
outreach programs. More often than not this goal falls short as no direct
funding is available to communities. Many communities do not have the time,
support, education, or money needed to develop and implement effective WHP
plans. Until now, the only financial assistance NDEQ has been able to give
communities who wish to protect their drinking water sources are Source Water
Protection (SWP) Grants. The grant program distributes up to $100,000 a year,
which generally isn’t enough to fund multiple larger more involved projects. The
SWP Grant has been limited in its ability to support long-term efforts to
reduce nonpoint source contamination. The NDEQ is hopeful that communities will
be able to better protect their drinking water sources through CWA Section 319
funding.
The BGMA plan approval by the EPA has also led to new
activities for the SWP Grant to fund. As stated previously, the BGMA plan is
the first in the nation to focus on ground water instead of surface water.
Because most Nebraska communities use groundwater as a source for their
drinking water, those communities were not included in earlier watershed
management plans nor were they eligible for funding on their own. In response
to the EPA approval of the BGWMA plan, the NDEQ is working with communities and
the EPA to develop Drinking Water Protection Management (DWPM) Plans. These
plans will be similar to the BGMA plan in that they will primarily be
groundwater focused plans that specifically target WHP areas. These plans will:
- Meet EPA requirements for alternative 9-element
watershed management plans
- Increase WHP area delineations from 20 to 50
year delineations using three-dimensional groundwater models
- Include strong implementable Information and
Education programs
- Use community based planning processes to
develop the plan
Currently three Nebraska communities are in the process of
developing DWPM plans. Two through the 2016 SWP Grant and one proposed project
that will combine available 319 planning money and other grant sources. The ability to
independently qualify for 319 project funding would provide a much needed
funding stream to the many struggling communities in Nebraska. These new
opportunities would not be possible without the innovative work that was done
on the BGMA plan. The NDEQ looks forward to working with Nebraska communities
to protect and improve their drinking water.
A special thanks to the BGMA stakeholders and the many
individuals from various local, state, and federal organizations for their
contributions to the development of this plan.
Sources:
Consumer awareness and education is the first line of defense in protecting wellfields and the groundwater below them. The Annual Water Quality Report explains the process that delivers clean, safe water to our bathtubs, sinks, and garden hoses and alerts customers when they might need to take steps to prevent pollution and overuse of their water source. 
