# Presentation: 308536

## Testimony at the Oversight Hearing on Water Supply -Environment and Public Works Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and WaterNovember 14, 2001

**Ane D. Deister**
**Co-Chair, Interim National Drought Council**
**Associate Vice President**
**Metropolitan Water District of Southern California**

## Attachment

**Water Availability by state**
**Water Quality regulation impacts**

## Relationship between

- Regulations and Technology

## From Health Driven to Consumer Driven:

- Historical Water Quality Emphasis

**Microbials**

**Inorganics**

**Organics**

**Microbials**

**Trace**
**Organics**

**Aesthetics**

**Early**
**1900s**

**1960s**

**1970-1980s**

**1990s**

**Early**
**2000**

**2010**

**Notes:**
I’m not sure if the colon is necessary on the title

## Water Availability Issues for Bureau States

**Drought conditions in western Texas**
**Extreme drought in Trans-Pecos climate division in Texas and in southeastern New Mexico**
**Recent locally heavy rains in northeastern Oklahoma an improvement to drought conditions**

## Water Availability Issues for Bureau States (cont.)

**Drought designation expanded for parts of the Northwest and northern Rockies**
**Wildfire potential still above normal for all of California and normal for Nevada**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States

**Alabama -- Decline of groundwater levels by 100 feet due to pumping**
**Alaska -- Permafrost decreases access to groundwater**
**Arkansas -- Decline of groundwater levels by 60 to 300 feet due to pumping**
**Connecticut -- Surface water cannot meet demands and SDWA requirements**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**Delaware -- Decline of groundwater levels by as much as 150 feet**
**Florida -- Decline of groundwater levels by as much as 150 due to pumping, and coastal area salt water intrusion**
**Georgia -- Surface and groundwater supplies not readily available near large cities, and coastal area salt water intrusion**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**Hawaii -- Water resources susceptible to prolonged droughts**
**Illinois -- Decline of groundwater levels by more than 850 feet in northeastern state due to pumping, and surface water inadequate during drought in southern two-thirds of state**
**Indiana -- Decline of groundwater levels by 20 feet due to Ag pumping**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**Iowa -- Groundwater not available in southern part of state, surface water deficiencies during drought, and Missouri River changes have lowered levels in wetlands and lakes**
**Kentucky -- Some areas with inadequate groundwater, and surface water inadequate during drought**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**Louisiana -- Decline of groundwater by as much as 430 feet in southern, and central state and several rivers have low flows restricting surface water availability**
**Maine -- Existing and potential surface and groundwater sources not sufficient for southern state**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**Maryland -- Decline of groundwater levels by as much as 85 feet in south state**
**Massachusetts -- Groundwater withdrawals for public water supply may lower levels in eastern state**
**Michigan -- Groundwater inadequate in northern state during droughts**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**Minnesota -- Irrigation and domestic users competing for groundwater**
**Mississippi -- Decline in groundwater levels along Gulf coast, northeastern, and western state due to pumping**
**Missouri -- Decline in groundwater levels by several hundred feet in southwestern state due to pumping**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**New Hampshire -- Inefficient distribution system can cause water supply to not meet treatment standards and result in shortages**
**New Jersey -- Surface water supply to northern state only adequate when precipitation > average, and parts of state aquifers not fully used due to environmental/institutional constraints**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**New York -- Decline of groundwater by 18 feet and decreases in stream flow by 90% in parts of Long Island, and droughts can cause inadequate water supply in New York City**
**North Carolina -- Approaching surface water supply limits in the Piedmont area, and coastal plain aquifers declining and experiencing saltwater intrusion**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**Ohio -- No issues identified**
**Pennsylvania -- No issues identified**
**Rhode Island -- Water supply systems cannot meet demands during droughts**
**South Carolina -- Scarce groundwater in Piedmont areas with reliance on variable surface water, and declining groundwater in southern state from Ag pumping**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**Tennessee -- Subject to surface water shortages in eastern and central state during droughts**
**Vermont -- No issues identified**
**Virginia -- Water supplies not sufficient for future demands in southeastern state, and decline in groundwater up to 200 feet in some areas**

## Water Availability Issues for Non-Bureau States (cont.)

**West Virginia -- Surface water shortages in southern state during drought**
**Wisconsin -- Decline in groundwater up to and exceeding 100 feet in eastern and southeastern state due to pumping**

- Example -- Successful Regional Overall Resource Strategy (cont.)(Metropolitan Water District)

## Slide 24