Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation Plan - Western ...

Connoquenessing Creek Watershed Conservation PlanChapter 3. Water ResourcesThe program is controlled by the commission and county conservation districts with approved delegatedauthority. Concentrated Animal Operations are required to participate in the program, as well as anyoperation that wishes to gain liability protection under the act, or has received financial assistance throughNOMA for BMP installation. In addition, any agricultural operation in violation of the PennsylvaniaClean Streams Law may be required to submit a nutrient management plan that meets NOMArequirements (PNMP).Farmers participating in NOMA must develop and implement approved nutrient management plans.Nutrient management planning is a series of BMPs designed to reduce nutrient pollution by balancingnutrient inputs with nutrient requirements. Plans must be developed by a certified PennsylvaniaDepartment of Agriculture (PDA) Nutrient Management Specialist. The intent of NOMA is to addresswater quality issues from such activities as animal number and density, nutrient losses from manurestorage and handling areas, nutrient runoff from animal concentrated areas, and manure fertilization.Questions about the program should be directed to the appropriate county conservation district. Financialand technical assistance is available (PNMP).Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities ActSewage is a major cause of pollution in westernPennsylvania streams. Sewage pollution can come frommunicipal and non-municipal sewage treatment plants, as wellas from private septic systems. This pollution can occur fromplants that have inadequate capacity due to population growthor poor design and private systems that are not properly builtor maintained. In some cases, both sewage waste andstormwater enter a municipal system through the sameinfrastructure, and the plant is not capable of handling all ofthis waste at once. The overflow waste is deposited directlyinto the stream. When this happens, it is called a combinedsewage overflow (CSO) event.Constructing the new Saxonburg sewagetreatment facility, summer 2007The main type of pollution entering streams from sewage treatment plants and septic systems isinorganic and organic nutrients, sediment, and bacteria. Nutrients can lead to excessive plant growth,which depletes the oxygen levels of streams. Sediment is responsible for clogging the gills of aquaticorganisms and affecting in-stream hydrology and habitat. Bacteria can be harmful, and sometimes fatal, toboth stream life and humans. Elevated bacteria levels were found in Brush and Breakneck creeks by astudy conducted by the Connoquenessing Watershed Alliance, which will be discussed in further detaillater in this chapter.Stream impacts caused by AMD can sometimes mask the effects of other pollutants, such as septicsystems and agricultural runoff. In fact, these other pollutants can add pH and alkalinity to a stream,canceling some of the harmful effects of acidic mine drainage. Few streams in the watershed have a HQor EV designation, which can put limitations on the types of pollutants entering a stream. Nonetheless,sewage pollution can have a significant negative impact on stream ecosystems and can affect the use ofthe stream for recreation and water supply. Over 15 sewage treatment plants have permits to dischargetreated wastewater to local streams. Depending on the age, condition, infrastructure, capacity of thesystem, and treatment methods used, the amount of waste matter entering streams from each of theseplants may vary greatly.Sewage treatment systems can affect groundwater storage quantity depending on the source of thewater supply used for sewage disposal. If water entering a sewage treatment plant was obtained fromsources of public water derived from wells, and thus groundwater, the water budget for that source will3-15