Delaware River Basin

Source Water Collaborative Forum
Delaware River Basin Water Resource Protection
Conference Agenda: March 10, 2011
Draft and Subject to Change

Regional Location: University of Delaware – Newark Campus
Newark, Delaware


7:30am: Check-in and Late Registration (if space permits)
8:00am - 8:15am: Delaware River Basin Forum: Delaware Site Welcome
Katherine Bunting-Howarth: Director, DNREC Division of Water
First Session: Live in Philadelphia and Broadcast to All Regional Locations See Main Agenda for First Session Topics
10:45am - 11:00am: BREAK
Transition to Regional Activities
11:00am - 11:15am: Opening Remarks and Welcome
David Small, Deputy Secretary, Delaware DNREC
Kathy Stiller, DNREC (Moderator)
11:15am - 12:00pm: Panel Discussion – Local Surface Water Quality Issues
  • Farm to Tap: Implementation of Sustainable Solutions to Protect Wilmington’s Water Source - Matthew Miller, City of Wilmington
  • Economic Value of Drinking Water Supplies in Delaware - Jerry Kauffman
  • Runoff Reduction & Recharge: The Three R’s of a New Paradigm for Stormwater Management – Randy Greer, DNREC Div. Soil & Water Conservation
  • The Benefits that Source Water Protection Contribute to Drinking Water Compliance – Edward Hallock, DHSS Div. Public Health, Office of Drinking Water
12:00pm - 12:15pm: Questions and Answers for Local Panelists
Return to Philadelphia for Keynote Live Broadcast and Lunch
See Main Agenda for Lunch Session Topic
1:30pm: RETURN TO REGIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Transition to Regional Activities
1:30pm - 2:45pm: Introduction to the afternoon session
Rita M. Landgraf – Secretary, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
Panel Discussion – Local Groundwater Quality Issues
  • Nutrients and Their Occurences in Delaware’s Drinking Water – Judy Denver, USGS
  • Delaware’s Low Cost Approach to Assessing Statewide Groundwater Quality – Joshua Kasper, DNREC
  • Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Groundwater Monitoring Network – Laura Mensch, DE Dept. of Agriculture
  • Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances’ Regulatory Programs and Groundwater Concerns – Marjorie Crofts, Director, DNREC Div. of Waste and Hazardous Substances
  • Source Water Protection Area Management: Protecting the County's Water Resources And Ensuring Adequate Water Quantity for Future Needs - George Haggerty & Stacy McNatt, New Castle County Department of Land Use
  • Local Challenges associated with Source Water Protection – Jigar Patel & John Hayes, Delaware Rural Water Association
2:45pm - 3:00pm: Questions and Answers for Local Panelists
3:00pm - 3:15pm: Forum Participant Suggestions for Better Implementing Drinking Water Protection
3:15pm - 3:30pm: BREAK AND REGIONAL LOCATION SUMMARY REPORTING TO PHILADELPHIA
Return to Philadelphia and Closing
3:30pm - 4:00pm: Summary of Forum Discussions and Future Direction Victoria P. Binetti, Associate Director, Water Protection Division, Region 3, US Environmental Protection Agency
4:00pm: ADJOURN

Click to Download Agenda

Speaker: Matthew Miller, City of Wilmington

Title: “Farm to Tap: Implementation of Sustainable Solutions to Protect Wilmington’s Water Source”

Bio: Matt currently works for the City of Wilmington, Delaware as the Water Quality Manager and has worked more than10 years both on the Water and Wastewater side. He has managed the City’s Pretreatment Program, Nine Minimum Control CSO program, stormwater management, and several other environmental compliance programs for the City. As Water Quality Manager, he manages the City’s State certified drinking water lab and ensures compliance with all drinking water regulations and requirements. Matt is also responsible for the City’s source water protection program and serves as the Water Department’s health and safety manager. Matt has a B.S. and a M.S. in Environmental Management from the University of Findlay and is also a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager and a Certified Water Treatment Operator. Matt is also a member of the Faculty at the University of Phoenix and Kaplan University, teaching courses in Environmental Science and Environmental Policy and Management.


Speaker: Jerry Kauffman, University of Delaware Water Resources Agency

Title: “Economic Value of Drinking Water Supplies in Delaware”

Bio: Gerald Kauffman is Director of the University of Delaware - Water Resources Agency, a program of the Institute for Public Administration. Jerry holds faculty appointments from the University of Delaware Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. Since 1999, Professor Kauffman has taught undergraduate courses in water resources engineering, hydraulics, and hydrology; and graduate courses in watershed management and policy. Jerry has co-authored a book on water resources engineering (in press) and has begun work on a second book entitled: An Invitation to Watershed Management.


Speaker: Randy Greer, DNREC Div. Soil & Water Conservation

Title: “Runoff Reduction & Recharge: The Three R’s of a New Paradigm for Stormwater Management”

Bio: Randy’s educational background consists of a BS in Agriculture and an MS in Resource Economics from the University of Delaware. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Maryland. His career includes over 30-years experience addressing non-point source pollution problems in both the agricultural and urban environments. His background includes work in both the public sector as well as private consulting. He is currently a staff engineer with the Sediment & Stormwater Program within the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.


Speaker: Edward Hallock, DHSS Div. Public Health, Office of Drinking Water

Title: “The Benefits that Source Water Protection Contribute to Drinking Water Compliance”

Bio: Ed Hallock, Program Administrator, Division of Public Health, Office of Drinking Water

  • Received a Bachelors Degree in Biology from the University of Delaware in 1981.
  • Worked in the Division of Public Health for 27+ years.
  • Began public health career in the Division of Public Health, Office of Food Protection in 1983.
  • In 1986, accepted the job in the Office of Sanitary Engineering, drinking water program.
  • Became Program Manager for the Office of Drinking Water in 1991 and the Program Administrator in 1999.
  • Participated on the National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) workgroup that developed the Consumer Confidence Report Rule, the EPA/State workgroup that revised the public notification rule and the NDWAC workgroup that revised the public education requirements for the Lead/Copper Rule short term revisions.
  • Member of the Chesapeake Section, American Water Works Association, Chair of the Regulatory Committee for the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) and is the President-Elect of ASDWA.


Speaker: Judy Denver, U.S. Geological Survey

Title: “Nutrients in Delaware's Drinking Water”

Bio: Judy Denver is a hydrologist with the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center of the US Geological Survey located in Dover, DE. Much of her work has been focused on understanding the effects of agricultural practices on water chemistry, and the transport of chemicals from natural and anthropogenic sources into groundwater, and through groundwater into surface water in different hydrogeologic settings of the Coastal Plain. She has been involved in the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program since the late 1980s and is currently coordinator for activities in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain. Her educational background includes a B.S. in geology and M.S. in marine studies from the University of Delaware.


Speaker: Joshua Kasper, DNREC Division of Water, Groundwater Protection Branch

Title: “Delaware’s Low-Cost Approach to Assessing Statewide Groundwater Quality”

Abstract: A synopsis of Delaware’s 2010 305(b) groundwater-quality assessment based on public-well data is presented. The conceptual hydrogeologic framework of Delaware and the five main aquifer types recognized for reporting purposes (unconfined, confined, semi-confined, fractured-rock, and karst aquifers) are discussed. Sources of “raw” groundwater-quality data (2008-09) and public-well information are addressed. Methods to compile and evaluate raw groundwater-quality data with respect to Delaware’s five main aquifer types are summarized. Data for nitrate and other selected anthropogenic parameters are highlighted to illustrate the spatial and aquifer-specific patterns in Delaware groundwater quality.

Bio: Josh Kasper is a hydrologist with DNREC’s Division of Water. He has 13 years of professional work experience in the field of hydrogeology. His research and work interests include all facets of applied hydrogeology, including groundwater-flow modeling, aquifer testing, geophysical methods, and groundwater-quality studies. Josh’s educational background includes a B.S. in Environmental Science and an M.S. in Geology, both from the University of Delaware. He is also a registered professional geologist in the State of Delaware.


Speaker: Laura Mensch, Delaware Department of Agriculture, Pesticides Section

Title: “Department of Agriculture Groundwater Monitoring Program”

Bio: Laura Mensch manages the Department of Agriculture’s groundwater monitoring program. She has been the DDA’s hydrologist for 5 years. Laura’s primary responsibilities include: maintaining and sampling the DDA’s statewide network of monitoring wells; responding to citizen complaints and concerns; and sampling domestic wells in response to health concerns. Laura samples the wells annually to analyze for pesticide residues and takes quarterly water levels. She reports findings to the USEPA, which funds the monitoring program. She works with other Delaware governmental agencies to best utilize the network of wells and to address results of the groundwater monitoring.


Speaker: Marjorie Crofts, Director, DNREC Div. of Waste and Hazardous Substances

Title: “Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances’ Regulatory Programs and Groundwater Concerns”

Abstract: This presentation will be an overview of the Division’s programs as they related to groundwater contamination and remediation and will discuss emerging issues identified by the Division, including PERC and ethanol.

Bio: Marjorie Crofts is the Director of Waste and Hazardous Substances in the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. A native of Rochester, NY, Marjorie has a BS in Marine Biology/Mathematics & Computer Science from Roger Williams College in RI and a Master of Marine Policy from the University of Delaware. Marjorie began her career with DNREC working on the Inland Bays. She spent several years as the State Coordinator for the Delaware Estuary Program before becoming Deputy Director of the Division of Air and Waste Management. Marjorie was named Director of WHS in July 2010.


Speakers: George Haggerty, New Castle County Department of Land Use and Stacy McNatt, New Castle County Department of Land Use

Title: “Source Water Protection Area Management: Protecting the County's Water Resources And Ensure Adequate Water Quantity for Future Needs”

Bio: George Haggerty is the Assistant General Manager of the Department of Land Use, for New Castle County. He oversees the Planning, Zoning, Engineering, Permitting and Building inspections sections for the County. He was involved in developing, adopting and implementation of the County’s Environment First ordinance (2003) that introduced volume control measures to storm water management. The ordinance also promoted redesign of open space creating sustainable habitat corridors. George also serves as the Building Code Official for the County. He has been with the County for the past 13 years.

Bio: Stacy M. McNatt, P.E., is a professional engineer working as a Civil Engineer II for New Castle County Government. She has 13 years of experience in the engineering field with design, review, and approval of sediment & stormwater plans for land development applications. Stacy is currently the Vice President of the Appoquinimink River Association which began as the Tributary Action Team for the Appoquinimink Watershed. Additionally, she holds a position on the Board of Directors for the Delaware Section of the American Water Resources Association (DE AWRA). To this end, Stacy has developed a specific interest in water resources and is currently working toward her master's degree in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering at Villanova University.


Speakers: Jigar Patel, EPA Source Water Specialist at Delaware Rural Water Association and John Hayes, Source Water Protection Specialist at Delaware Rural Water Association

Title: “Local Challenges Associated with Source Water Protection”

Bio: Jigar Patel has been employed with Delaware Rural Water Association (DRWA) since May 1997 and is currently the EPA Source Water and Training and Technical Assistance Specialist. Previously, he served as the EPA Wellhead Protection Specialist for ten years. Jigar is responsible for assisting community water systems develop a Source Water Protection Plan, Onsite technical assistance, and assistance in all areas of regulatory/compliance issues.

Adobe Flash Player is required to view the webcast click here to download the plugin. Try this test video to see if your computer meets the requirements to view the live webcast.

To view a map of the Delaware River Basin from the USGS, click here:USGS Basin Map

Get Adobe Flash player

Having trouble with viewing this video? Try downloading the Flash Player plugin.