Delaware River Basin Commission The State of the Basin - 2019 Watersheds and Water Use Chad Pindar, P.E. Manager of Water Resource Planning, DRBC WRA DRB , Fall Technical Symposium November 6, 2019, Bordentown, NJ Photo: David Mark, via Pixabay
Delaware River Basin Commission
The State of the Basin - 2019
Watersheds and Water Use
Chad Pindar, P.E.
Manager of Water Resource Planning, DRBC
WRA DRB , Fall Technical Symposium
November 6, 2019, Bordentown, NJ
Photo: David Mark, via Pixabay
Indicators
Watersheds / Landscapes
▪ Population
▪ Land Cover
▪ Impervious Cover
Water Quantity
▪ Water Withdrawals
▪ Consumptive Use
▪ Groundwater Availability
▪ 2016: ~8.3 million basin residents
▪ 2030: Projected to be 9 million
Population
▪ Most up-to-date data published by Shippensburg University
▪ 1-meter resolution, LiDAR-based, 12 land cover classes
▪ Predominantly Forested – especially Upper Basin
▪ More urbanized around Wilmington – Philadelphia -Trenton corridor
▪ Action: continue to update high-resolution landcover over time for trends
▪ Management of growth will help mitigate negative impacts to source waters, water quality and aquatic life
Landcover
▪ NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program (CCAP) data for trends.
▪ Development is primarily from Forest and Agricultural lands
Landcover
▪ Good indicator of “stream health”
▪ Roads, parking lots, rooftops, etc.
▪ Prevents infiltration of rainfall, adds to runoff, reduces GW recharge
▪ Watersheds with >10% I.C.- stream health begins to decline
▪ Utilized NOAA CCAP for analysis
Impervious Cover
▪ Most of the basin is currently below the 10% threshold.
▪ Restoration: Stormwater retrofits in areas above 10%
▪ Protection: Management ordinances and BMPs in areas below 10%
Impervious Cover
Basin Water Use
▪ Measuring and reporting water use has greatly improved since the 1990’s
▪ Stable or decreasing trends
Water Use Trends – 3 Key Sectors
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Basinwide water use by sectorPWS Industrial Thermo
▪ Population growth
▪ PWS sector use is relatively flat
▪ Attributed to conservation efforts
▪ Similar at a national scale
Water Use Trends – Public Water Supply
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Total use: Public water supply
Consumptive Use Trend in Total WDDRB Population Trend
▪ 300 PWS utility systems submit audits yearly
▪ 156 MGD is leaked
▪ $132 million in non-revenue water
Water Auditing for PWS Sector
▪ Consumptive Use is stable in the DRB
▪ Action: Confirm C.U. factors by sector
Water Use Trends – Consumptive Use
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Basinwide consumptive use by sector PWS Industrial Thermo
▪ Thermoelectric is the one sector where we have seen C.U. increases
▪ Management / replacement program for this sector
Consumptive Use – Thermoelectric Generation
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Consumptive water use: Thermoelectric Power Generation Moving Avg. Trendline
Groundwater Use &
Availability
▪ Majority of Basin is in very good shape
▪ Below the “potentially stressed” threshold
A.
B.
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1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 2012
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Moving Ave. Trendline
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1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015M
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Well is in the depleted zone of a regulated aquifer
Well is in the threatened margin of a regulated aquifer
GW: Special Management Areas
▪ Watersheds for analysis are smaller than those used for basin-wide assessment
▪ One watershed that is “Stressed” is due to a quarry
▪ Sustainable withdrawals
Southeast PA Groundwater Protected Area
Indicator SummaryPresent Condition / Trend
Present Condition / Trend
Recommendations
Recommendations
Status
Status
Chad Pindar, P.E. Water Resource Planning Section Manager
Managing, Protecting and Improving the Basin’s Water Resources since 1961