Developing And Deploying A Dynamically Updated Source Water Assessment And Response Tool
Rosen, Jeffrey 1 ; Seidel, Chad 2
1 Corona Environmental Consulting, LLC
2 University of Colorado at Boulder, DeRISK Center
The 2014 spill of MCHM on the Elk River in West Virginia highlighted several source water protection challenges faced by the drinking water community. Source water assessment plans conducted in the early 2000s are dated and in need of systematic updates to integrate federal, state and local data across jurisdictional boundaries. In addition, gaps in state and federal regulatory coverage leave some liquid storage tanks undocumented among state and federal programs.
An open source GIS tool has been developed that dynamically integrates the latest updates in federal, state and local data sets. This secure access tool links the location of specific contaminants to a database of contaminant characteristics that describe physical properties, fate and transport, detection and treatability. Within the GIS, work flows are being developed to identify above ground storage tanks from aerial imagery, estimate times of travel, integrate online monitoring data and provide an environment for tabletop spill response exercises. The tool and case studies that applied the methodology and the the online tool set will be presented. Research outcomes and needs about obtaining the most useful data sources and remaining data gaps will be discussed.
Rosen, J., et al., The crude MCHM chemical spill in Charleston, W. Va., Journal AWWA, Volume 106, Number 9, p. 65-74.