State of Alabama FINAL Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP ...

SPENDING ESTIMATE PER CALENDAR YEAR OF PROJECT DURATION:
BC2-4
Year 1 $
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Year 2 $ 100,000.00
Year 3 $
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Year 4 $
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GOAL: The goal of this initiative is to assess the quality and quantity of groundwater in
Baldwin County and determine the environmental impacts of treated wastewater on the
waterways of the County.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this initiative is to hire a consultant to conduct an assessment on issues
related to wastewater and groundwater in Baldwin County.
Baldwin County has experienced a rapid population increase in the past few years. The prediction is that
this trend will continue. With this growth comes an increased challenge to maintain the water quality both
in our streams and bays and in our groundwater. This increase in growth leads to an increase in
impervious surface in the form of rooftops, driveways, roadways and parking lots. This loss of pervious
surface can have a significant impact on the recharge of the groundwater. In addition, this growth leads to
an increase in the amount of wastewater generated that must be processed and eventually released into the
surrounding streams and bays. Baldwin County would like to ensure that the inevitable growth does not
cause a significant adverse affect on the environment and natural beauty that is the very reason so many
people are drawn to the area.
The goal of this initiative is to assess the quality and quantity of groundwater in Baldwin County and
determine the environmental impacts of treated wastewater on the waterways of the County. The objective
of this initiative is to hire a consultant to conduct an assessment on issues related to wastewater and
groundwater in Baldwin County. The results of the assessment will provide information on the state of
our waterways and groundwater. In addition, it would include recommendations for coordinating with
water and wastewater service providers to ensure adequate services are planned and provided. It would
also identify areas of concern regarding long-term regulatory and infrastructure needs and provide
recommendations for addressing these concerns. In addition, suggestions for construction specifications
for collection and transmission systems would be provided. These results and recommendations will be
presented to the Baldwin County Commission.
The implementation of this analysis in regards to the wastewater issues would require collection of data on
the location, design, capacity and point of discharge for all wastewater facilities within the County. It
would include coordination with agencies that monitor these resources such as the Alabama Department
of Environmental Management. The type of information gathered would depend on the reporting
requirements of the facilities and the agencies. Information from the County’s Comprehensive Land Use
Plan would also be reviewed to identify areas which might be significantly impacted by future growth. At
this time, most of the wastewater effluent is discharged into the streams and bays. The County would like
to see other methods utilized for effluent discharge. One method that could be explored is groundwater
recharge by direct injection. This method is effective in coastal areas because it creates a freshwater barrier
State of Alabama Final Coastal Impact Assistance Program Plan
Baldwin County Tier Two Project Descriptions
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