Hearing Updates From 

Regulatory Bodies For 

Marcellus And Utica On How 

Regulations Will Affect The 

Use Of Surface Water For 

Disposal And Water Sourcing 
The Basin 

• 27,510-square-mile watershed 

• Comprises 43 percent of the 

 Chesapeake Bay watershed 

• 4.2 million population 

• 60 percent forested 

• 32,000+ miles of waterways 

The River 

• 444 miles, largest tributary to 

 the Chesapeake Bay 

• Supplies 18 million gallons per 

 minute to the Bay 

• Supports Public Water Supply and Industry 

Susquehanna River Basin 
Susquehanna River Basin Commission 

• SRB Compact, 1971 

• Mission: provide for the 

 planning, conservation, utilization, 

 development, management and 

 control of the water resources of 

 the basin 

• Commissioners, budget 

• Technical staff 

• Regulations, fees 
Issues facing the Susquehanna 

• Water Quality 

• Chesapeake Bay 

• Smallmouth Bass 

• Stormwater Management 

• Water Quantity 

• Flooding 

• Droughts 

• Public Water Supply 

permitting 
Stream Pollution Profile for 

the Susquehanna River 

Basin 

• 19%	of	Streams	“impaired”	

•	8,400	miles	out	of	a	total	of	

49,000	

• Agriculture	

•	3,800	miles	or	8%	

• Abandoned	Mine	Drainage	

•	2,000	miles	or	4%	

• 	Atmospheric	DeposiDon	

•	1,500	miles	or	3%	

• Urban	Runoff	

•	1,500	miles	or	3%	

• Other	

•	1%	
Water Withdrawals 

• why it’s 

important to 

regulate 

• rule changes 

made to 

accommodate 

the industry 
Approved and Reported Water 

Use 
Renewals 

• Data? 

• Modifications? 

• Grandfathered sources? 

 Subject to review if: 

• adding a source 

• increasing unapproved withdrawal by greater 

than 100,000 gpd

• increasing withdrawal from an approved source 
Criteria for Renewing 

Existing Sources

• Similar	criteria	as	a	new	

source	

• demonstraDon	of	need	

• Historic	usage	

• infrastructure	

limitaDons	

• Subject	to	Dec.	2012	LFPP

• new	limits?	
Rule	Changes	

Recently Adopted Water Tracking Methods 

• “CU	at	the	Source”	

• Daily	gage	report	for	tracking	passbys

• Improvements	to	post-hydrofrac	reports		
Recent	Rule	Changes	

• Revised	and	simplified	transfer	rule	

• New	secDon	defining	Minor	ModificaDons	

• New	secDon	establishing	process	for	General	

Permits.	
What	are	Minor	ModificaDons?	

• CorrecDon	of	typos*	

• Changes	to	metering	or	monitoring	condiDons*	

• Adding	sources	for	consumpDve	use**	

• Changing	authorized	water	uses**	

• Changing	schedules	set	forth	in	dockets*	

• Changes	to	intake	designs	

• Certain	increases	in	total	system	limits	

• ModificaDons	to	extracDon	well	networks	

*			Covered	by	DelegaDon	in	ResoluDon	2013-11	

**	Allowed	to	be	done	by	ED	in	more	recent	docket	approval	

					language	
Transfer	Rule-What	are	the	Changes?	

• The	requirement	to	submit	NEW	applicaDons	

where	the	approval	is	older	than	10	years	is	

removed.	

• The	requirement	that	applicaDons	for	

grandfathered	sources	be	submibed	within	90	

days	of	the	change	in	ownership	is	changed	to	

be	required	as	a	condiDon	of	the	transfer	on	a	

Dmeline	approved	by	the	ExecuDve	Director.	
Proposed	Rule	Changes	

• FY17	Fee	Schedule	

• Policy:	terminaDng	review	of	applicaDons	

• Policy:	expiring	approvals	
Upcoming	Report	Releases	
Andrew Dehoff, P.E. 

Executive Director 

Telephone: (717) 238-0423 

E-mail: adehoff@srbc.net 

www.srbc.net 

Marcellus and Utica Shale Water Management 

March 31, 2016 

Pittsburgh, PA