OVERVIEW OF THE FLORIDAN
AQUIFER GROUNDWATER USERS
STAKEHOLDER GROUP
Jackie Jackson Teel
Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission
Environmental Compliance Authority

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is the main
federal law that ensures the quality of Americans'
drinking water.
 Under
the SDWA, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) sets standards for drinking water quality
and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers
who implement those standards.

SDWA authorizes the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (US EPA) to set national healthbased standards for drinking water to protect
against both naturally-occurring and man-made
contaminants that may be found in drinking water.
Environmental Compliance Authority

The SDWA includes a requirement that EPA
establish and enforce standards that public drinking
water systems must adhere to.

The States are given primary enforcement
responsibility for public water systems in their
State if they meet certain requirements.
COASTAL GROUNDWATER USE
BACKGROUND
Salt water intrusion cone of depression presently centered
under Chatham and Effingham Counties.
Salt Water Intrusion Cone of Depression
COASTAL GROUNDWATER USE
BACKGROUND
 Groundwater withdrawal reduction
from the aquifer reduces the rate at
which the salt water plume migrates
inland from Hilton Head Island
toward Savannah.
 Continued work towards reducing
groundwater usage in the Chatham,
Effingham, as well as the Bryan and
Liberty County areas is needed.
GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT SUB-REGIONS


Sub-Region 1 (Red Zone):
Chatham County and
Effingham south of GA 119
Sub-Region 1 (Yellow Zone):
Bryan and Liberty Counties

Sub-Region 2:
Glynn County

Sub-Region 3: 19 remaining
coastal counties plus
Effingham County north of
Highway 119
COMPREHENSIVE COUNTY-WIDE WATER
MANAGEMENT PLANNING
 Chatham County Comprehensive Water Supply Management Plan
 First of its kind in the State
 Model for the State Water Plan and the Coastal Permitting Plan
completed in 2006
FLORIDAN AQUIFER GROUNDWATER
USERS STAKEHOLDER GROUP
 The Georgia Department of Natural
Resources Environmental Protection
Division (GA EPD) convened a coastal
stakeholders group comprised of Floridan
Aquifer Groundwater Users
 Consists of both municipal and industrial
permit holders
 Working to explore ways to conserve
water and reduce groundwater
withdrawals and over pumping from the
Floridan Aquifer
 Need to ensure continued access to water
supplies while still supporting future
economic growth in the affected areas.
FLORIDAN AQUIFER GROUNDWATER USERS
STAKEHOLDER GROUP DIRECTIVES
 54 Stakeholders at the table (40 in the Red Zone
and 14 in the Yellow Zone)
 15 MGD permit limits/use reduction by in the Red
Zone by 2025 (10 MGD by 2020)
 1 MGD permit limits/use reduction by in the
Yellow Zone by 2025
 =25 % reduction (25 MGD) in Coastal area
SUB-COMMITTEES
Four subcommittees have been formed to focus on various aspects
of the process.
Those subcommittees include:
 Demand Management/Water Conservation (metering, education,
infrastructure upgrades, etc.)**;
 Additional Use of Surface Water Using Existing Infrastructure,
Savannah Industrial and Domestic Plant (replace groundwater
with surface water) **;
 Mathematical Formula (approach to determine permit limit
contribution); and
 Financial Incentive Concepts (municipal pay for use, user fees,
etc.).
TIMELINE

4 Large Stakeholder Meetings:
 June 11, 2014
 July 23, 2014
 October 8, 2014
 December 16, 2014
 Numerous Subcommittee meetings were also held
starting September 2014

December 2014 : Submit Conceptual Proposal to GA
EPD
Subcommittees Recommendations

The December 16, 2014 meeting was the last
scheduled meeting for developing
recommendations and has since been provided to
EPD for final decision making. EPD will be
convening the Leadership Group after the first of
the year to share their decision regarding Floridan
Aquifer permit limit reductions (date yet to be
determined).
Subcommittees Recommendations

The Subcommittees met and discussed a number of points and made
the following recommendations:

There was consensus that an approximately 16% pro rata
reduction should be taken by everyone to achieve the first 2020
reduction target (in the Red Zone).

The pro rata approach refers to an equal percentage reduction used
and applied to each permit holders permit limit in relation to the
aggregated total of all permit holders (calculated separately for the
Red Zone and for the Yellow Zone).



16.45 % reduction to achieve the 2020 Red Zone reduction target of 10 MGD
24.67 % reduction to achieve the 2025 Red Zone reduction target of 15 MGD
3.60 % reduction to achieve the 2025 Yellow Zone reduction target of 1 MGD
Subcommittees Recommendations

There was general agreement to recommend that it be
illegal to drill a ground water well in the four county area
if property line is within 1000 feet of public water
system.

There was general agreement to recommend that EPD
require individual permittees to do their due diligence on
feasibility to connect to surface water plants.

All permit holders would be required to take the
reductions.
Subcommittees Recommendations

The required reduction shall be reduced by recaptured
permits, voluntary permit reductions, and mutually
agreed permit reductions.

EPD will annually convene a meeting of the permit
holders to review progress made toward reduction
goals and facilitate discussion regarding innovative
methods for achieving permit reductions.

Ensure the proposed reductions are supported by sound
science.
Next Steps

The December 16, 2014 meeting was the last scheduled
meeting for developing recommendations and has since
been provided to EPD for final decision making.

EPD will be convening the Leadership Group after the
first of the year to share their decision regarding
Floridan Aquifer permit limit reductions (date yet to be
determined).

Future updates will be made after EPD relays the final
decisions on reductions.
QUESTIONS