Cassandra McKinney Water Resources Manager – McHenry County, Illinois

If all the worlds water were fit into a gallon jug, the fresh water available for us to use would equal only

about one tablespoon.

• Water is necessary for every individual to survive.

• A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water.

•Humans cannot drink salt water.

Water in McHenry County,

Illinois

• Solely dependent on groundwater for all of our potable water resources

• Water supply is vulnerable to contamination -INCLUDING SALT– Geology of County has significant sand and gravel at surface.

– ¾ of counties water supply comes from shallow aquifers within 100 feet of the surface of the ground

• County is projected to grow by 190,000 people by 2030

• Groundwater shortages are predicted to occur as soon as 2020 in some of these areas

Why is it that water takes up 70% of the earth’s surface and 60% of our bodies, yet so little of our thinking?

Imagine turning the world’s water problems into opportunities!

Groundwater Protection Action Plan: Quality

Ø Winter Snow and Ice Operations

Ø Water Quality &

Pollution Prevention

QuantityØ Water Conservation

Ø Conservation Design

Quantity & QualityØ Groundwater RechargeØ Water Dependent EcosystemsØ WastewaterØ Water Supply PlanningØ Drought ManagementØ Contingency Planning

EducationEducation

Winter Snow and Ice OperationsIn Illinois:

Photo courtesy of Walt Kelly, Illinois State Water Survey

Chicago annual average snow cover: 38 inches (97 cm)

Chicago’s annual average road salt application: >270,000 tons (~155,000 MgCl2/yr)

Photo courtesy of Walt Kelly

Chicago Metropolitan Area Roads:

55,000 lane miles(2x around the world!!)

__Interstates

__Major Arteries

__Other roads

Map courtesy of Walt Kelly , data provided by Connie Fortin

IT’S NOT JUST ROADS WE SALT!

Road Salt in U.S.First applied in earnest around 1960

Graph courtesy of Illinois State Water Survey: Walt Kelly

Record highway salt sales• 2008 was a record in salt sales

– 2005 – 20.5 million tons of road salt – 2006 – 12.1 million tons– 2007 – 20.3 million tons– 2008 – 22.2 million tons

• Three of past four years were three of the four largest sales years ever (1996)

• 2010 McHenry County –– 60,000 tons ordered on the State Bid– County DOT received 12,000 tons and uses an annual

average of 9,000 tons

SOURCE: Salt Institute

Chicagoland region used 1.8 million tons of salt….How much is 1.8 million tons of salt?

Well what if we stored it in solder field?

SALT & WATERTHE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TREATING ROADS

Once in solution always in solution!

Chlorides and the Environment• Ecological Impacts

– Aquatic Life– Vegetation– Birds

• Drinking Water Impacts

Chronic standard for Chlorides:230 mg/l

= 1 teaspoon salt in 5gallons water

Acute standard:860mg/l

about 1 Tablespoon of salt in 5 gallons of water

Bluegills die @ concentrations

2,500-8,600mg/l

about 1/2 cup salt in 5 gallons of water

SALT’S EFFECT ON OUR

AQUATIC LIFE

High Quality Streams ~25 Fish Species,

Urban Streams 0 to 8 Species

*Courtesy of Connie Fortin

Chlorides in Lakes in Lake Co., IL

Data from Michael Adam, Lake Co Health Dept

Samples collected between Apr. – Oct.

Graph by Walt Kelly, Illinois State Water Survey

Road Salt: Ecological Effects• Aquatic fauna negatively impacted by high salt

concentrations– Wood frogs– Salamanders– Caddisflies– Amphipods– Trout, minnows (Cl- as low as 210 mg/L)

• Some birds may also be affected by salt consumption

*Courtesy of Connie Fortin

OVER SALTING CAN EFFECT VEGETATION TOO!

Damage to Plants & Change of Vegetation to Salt Tolerant Species

*Courtesy of Connie Fortin

Impacts to Groundwater

(Drinking Water)

Supply

• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency standard for Class I

Potable Groundwater Resource: 200 mg/L

• Elevated levels of Chlorides make water non-potable, Secondary Drinking Water Standard: 250

mg/L

• ILEPA guidelines for Aquatic Life Impairment: 500 mg/L = acute

criteria for chlorides

Chloride Standards

1 tsp. salt in 5 gal. of water=230 mg/L

Source: 2008 IL EPA Bureau of Water Integrated Water Quality Report

•Prior to 1970: 80% of wells had chlorides less than 15 mg/L (maximum natural concentration)

•After 1990 (wells <200 feet) •37% exceeded 50 mg/L and •14% exceeded 100 mg/L.

•After 1990 (wells <100 feet): •66% exceeded 50 mg/L and •34% exceeded 100 mg/L

•Chloride concentrations have been recorded in excess of 1000-3500 mg/L in several shallow monitoring wells along major roadways.

Groundwater data shows an increasing trend of groundwater degradation.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Bureau of Water. Illinois Integrated Water Quality Report and Section 303(d) List – 2008.

•More than half of the wells in DuPage, Kane, McHenry, and Will counties have Chlorides rising more than 1 mg/l/yr

• 13% have increases greater than 4 mg/l/yr.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Bureau of Water. Illinois Integrated Water Quality Report and Section 303(d) List – 2008.

Chloride rate increases:

•Of 356 community water supply wells tested:

•23% were determined to be Not Supporting (“fair”) due to significant increases of total dissolved solids and chloride

~4600 samples

Cl- in Wells < 200 ft in 6 County Region

Graph courtesy of Walt Kelly

Kane County Shallow Aquifers: Chloride

Gray areas: aquifer material within 50 ft of land surfaceGraph courtesy of Walt Kelly

Chloride Levels by County

Graph courtesy of Walt KellyGraph by Walt Kelly, Illinois State Water Survey

Winter Snow and Ice Operations:Training and Certification Program

SUSTAINABILITY

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations

to meet their own needs.

LOOKING FOR THAT MAGIC BULLET?

McHenry County’s Program:McHenry County’s Program:Training and Certification…Training and Certification…

• Public and Private Sector– Municipalities and Townships– Commercial Applicators– Mom and Pop’s

• Who: – Operators, Supervisors, Schools, Commercial and

Industrial Facilities, Contracting Person, and more

Training and Certification…

• Currently a Voluntary Certification Program

• 6 PDH’s are offered

• Working towards requiring:– certification for all operators

– permitting for all storage

McHenry County

Winter Snow and Ice Control: Certified Operator

Expires October 2012

Goals:• Teach:

– Sensible salting• Application Rates• Pavement Temps• Treatment Options • Calibration• And more…

– Proper storage and handling– Levels of service– Environmental Impacts

Fall 2009 Training• McHenry County held three six hour classes

• Trained and Certified – Municipalities– Townships– Private Operators– County Operators– Schools– Companies that sell salt

Groundwater Protection Action PlanModel Policy

• Section 8: Winter Snow and Ice Operations– Storage and Handling

– Application

– Training and Certification

Water Resources Website! •Groundwater Protection Action Plan

•Children’s Activities

•Teacher Lesson Plans

•Residents Brochures

•Businesses

•Municipalities Model Policies

•Generalwww.mchenryh2o.com

Questions?

Cassandra McKinney Water Resource Manager

McHenry County Government 2200 N. Seminary AvenueWoodstock, IL 60098-2637

Phone: (815) 334-4213Fax: (815) 338-3991

E-mail: clmckinney@co.mchenry.il.us Website: www.mchenryh2o.com