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The
Technical Assistance for rural ground water development project provides
hydrogeological data to small communities in rural Idaho that cannot
afford to acquire this type of information.
The communities may share these data with contract engineers to
enhance their ability to solve or mitigate water quantity or quality
problems.
We
rely on input from the staff of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
(IDEQ) to formulate a priority list of rural communities and water supply
units that may benefit from technical assistance. The list undergoes
constant revision as some problems are solved and others become apparent.
Communities are also encouraged to contact us directly, and may do so
using the Contact Us page on this
site.
This
website supplies data and conclusions from research completed in Year
2002. The web page titled Project Site
Data lists all communities that the project has helped and those
on which we hope to focus during Year 2003.
Provide
hydrogeological technical assistance to small community water systems to
improve drinking water quantity and quality.
Ground
water supplies approximately 96% of the drinking water demand in Idaho’s
towns and cities. Small communities and water supply entities within rural
Idaho and other states face numerous regulatory and technical constraints
on water supply development such as:
·
Excessive and long-term water level declines
·
Source Water Approval Plans
·
Wellhead Protection Plans
·
Consumer Confidence Reports
·
New EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of arsenic
·
High levels of nitrate and other contaminants
The Idaho Water Resources Research Institute (IWRRI) and the Idaho
Geological Survey (IGS) initiated this program to provide geologically
based ground water information to communities that have critical water
issues. A wide range of state and federal agencies plus regional and local
community groups closely coordinate this effort. The program works closely
with community leaders, and in addition to research on specific problems,
focuses on education. The web page, About GWEMO,
or Ground Water Education for Municipal Officials provides information
regarding educational programs and opportunities.
The
IWRRI Technical Assistance For Rural Ground Water Development in Idaho
project team will provide pertinent information relative to the ground
water resources of selected small communities and water supply entities.
The
general proposed scope of work includes:
·
Evaluate the geologic setting of the general area and the
subsurface geology in the immediate vicinity of the community
·
Identify aquifers and protective overlying confining layers
near the community
·
Identify recharge and discharge area(s) for these aquifers
plus the approximate direction and velocity of ground water flow
·
Document and evaluate historic pumping quantities and
associated water level decline patterns
·
Characterize the natural water quality and evaluating the
potential for ground water contaminants
·
Analyze the water supply vulnerability from both quantity
and quality perspectives
·
Analyze the long-term suitability of ground water as a water
supply source
Information
obtained from the hydrogeologic studies will be completed in cooperation
with source water programs of the Idaho Department of Environmental
Quality (IDEQ) and activities of the Idaho Rural Water Association.
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