Model Well Ordinances Enacted Locally

One of the draft recommendations of the CARP was to develop and promote a model well and geothermal construction ordinance. On June 25, 2103, the Adams County Conservation District’s Board of Directors adopted the Adams County Construction Standards and Material Specifications for Wells & Geothermal Systems, Model Ordinance for Well Construction, and Model Well Drilling Permit Application. Since that time, the Conservation District has been promoting the documents to the local municipalities through municipal meetings, newsletters, and other educational methods. To date, there are two municipalities (Arendtsville Borough and Hamiltonban Township) that have enacted the model ordinance and related documents and other municipalities are still in the process. For more information, contact Adam McClain at amcclain@adamscounty.us.

Call for Abstracts -- PA Groundwater Symposium

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium
May 7, 2014
Ramada Inn Conference Center, State College, PA
Abstract Deadline is January 31, 2014
Abstracts can be submitted at: http://agsci.psu.edu/pa-water-symposium

In celebration of National Drinking Water Week, Penn State Extension’s Master Well Owner Network and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection along with numerous other sponsors invite you to submit abstracts for the 2014 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State College, PA on May 7, 2014.  The Symposium theme: Building Groundwater Knowledge through Monitoring will provide a forum for researchers, students, professionals and educators working in the groundwater field to exchange information and promote protection of groundwater resources throughout the state.

Abstracts will be accepted through January 31, 2014 for oral or poster presentations on a wide variety of groundwater topics including:

• Groundwater monitoring
• Data availability and access
• Groundwater processes
• Wellhead protection
• Water well studies
• Emerging contaminants
• Aquifer studies
• Groundwater/surface water interactions
• Issues related to energy extraction
• Education and outreach
• Groundwater use for geothermal energy

The conference planning committee will review all abstracts and notify authors of acceptance via email by February 14, 2014.  The conference registration site and agenda will be available by March 1, 2014. Thanks to generous support from sponsors, a nominal registration fee of approximately $30 is currently expected for this symposium. 

The Headwaters - Well Construction Standards

Click here for the third edition of The Headwaters.  This periodic publication is compiled through the collaborative efforts of the Adams County Water Resources Advisory Committee (WRAC), Adams County Conservation District, and Adams County Office of Planning and Development.  The third edition provides information on the Well Construction Standards documents that have been adopted by the Adams County Conservation District.

 

Medication Take Back - October 26, 2013

On Saturday, October 26, 2013 from 10:00am to 2:00pm, Adams County and Hanover area residents can dispose of unused or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications safely and free of charge during the seventh DEA take back medicine collection.

For more information, contact Eileen Grenell at Collaborating For Youth, 717.338.0300 ext 24 or drugfree@cfgettysburg.com.  Information on the Hanover locations can be obtained through Guiding Hearts with Hope, Martha King at 717.968.3083 or advocacymom@embarqmail.com.  For an EPA fact sheet on proper drug disposal, click here.

Register for Webcast on the “National Stormwater Calculator”

EPA will host a Watershed Academy Webcast on Oct. 23, 2013 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm Eastern on the new “National Stormwater Calculator.”  This new calculator is designed for anyone interested in reducing runoff from a property including: site developers, landscape architects, urban planners, homeowners and others.  It can help users decide which stormwater management practices to install such as a rain garden or a green roof.  This calculator is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site anywhere in the United States (including Puerto Rico). Estimates are based on local soil conditions, land cover, and historic rainfall records.

You can download the Stormwater Calculator at www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/models/swc/.

Register for the Webcast at  www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts

How to Determine Average Water Usage for a Home Before You Buy It

Click here for methods to determine average water usage for a home before you buy it.

Intro from the article:

One of the things you want to know before purchasing a house is how much water you'll use to keep everything up and running. There are several determining factors that affect the number that can fluctuate with the seasons or occupant behavior, but there are a few ways to get a ballpark figure you can work with.

VUSP Pennsylvania Stormwater Symposium

Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership (VUSP) will host a 2013 Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Symposium October 17-18.

Final Draft Symposium Details:  This year we have the honor of being addressed by E. Christopher Abruzzo, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, as well as John Capacasa, and Dominique Lueckenhoff of USEPA region III.  Lee McDonnell, Director of PaDEP's Bureau of Point and Non Point Source Management,  and Ken Murin, Chief, Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands will catch us up on what is happening at PaDEP.  We have over 50 concurrent technical presentations on all phases of stormwater management.  The topics and speakers are better than ever and we look forward to hearing what they have to say.  And don't forget the after hours poster session, and reception. Finally for those who enjoy our yearly tours, we are going to again offer several options with Lunch.  We are including many breaks to allow you to interact with the posters, the vendors, and your colleagues. 

For more information, visit the symposium website.