Daniel R. Connolly, PE Joins SSM Group
Daniel R. Connolly, PE joins the firm as Senior Water and Wastewater Engineer.
SSM welcomes Daniel R. Connolly, PE as a Senior Water and Wastewater Engineer in the Water and Wastewater Engineering Department. Mr. Connolly will direct the firm’s water, wastewater and industrial process engineering and design efforts and will provide overall quality control/quality assurance oversight on all project initiatives. He has more than 25 years in the water and wastewater industry, serving a multitude of municipal clients on a wide variety of challenging and multi-faceted projects including both upgrades to existing systems and new facilities. His design experience includes process and engineering calculations, review of process equipment alternatives, selection of equipment and materials, preparation of sketches and schematics, process control concepts and instrumentation, development of specifications, coordination of work with other disciplines, preparation of construction cost estimates, and preparation of permitting applications to regulatory agencies. Bid and Construction phase experience includes response to bidder questions, review of bids, preparation of bid tabulation, review of submittals, response to contractor field questions, and construction progress meetings.
SSM Group, Inc. serves government, education, healthcare, industrial, and commercial clients in Pennsylvania, across the United States and in the Caribbean. SSM offers extraordinary experience in the planning, design, and construction management of wastewater and water systems, piping systems, pumping stations, and treatment plants. We offer solutions for tomorrow through far-sighted water and sewer infrastructure and environmental planning.
Carl D. Kline, Jr., LO Joins SSM Group
Carl D. Kline, Jr., LO joins the staff as a Senior Operations Specialist in the Water and Wastewater Engineering Services Department.
SSM welcomes Carl D. Kline, Jr., LO as Senior Operations Specialist in the Water and Wastewater Engineering Services group.
Mr. Kline will lead the firm’s water, wastewater and industrial treatment plant operations support efforts and will provide new equipment startup, process startup and training on all treatment plant related project initiatives. In addition, his responsibilities will include maintaining client contact and providing ongoing operational support services, advice, training, and troubleshooting, as may be required to assist client operations staff in maintaining treatment process efficiency, effectiveness and DEP compliance.
He has more than 40 years of experience in all aspects of water, wastewater, and public works. That experience includes responsible management of contracts, budgets, and personnel and associated operations, maintenance and safety programs. He has developed and maintains excellent relationships with clients, as well as federal, state, county, and local officials in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware.
SSM Group, Inc. serves government, education, healthcare, industrial, and commercial clients in Pennsylvania, across the United States and in the Caribbean. SSM offers extraordinary experience in the planning, design, and construction management of wastewater and water systems, piping systems, pumping stations, and treatment plants. We offer solutions for tomorrow through far-sighted water and sewer infrastructure and environmental planning.
Building Safety Month
A three-part series exploring engineering and environmental issues supporting Building Safety. Topics include Electrical Safety, Poor Ventilation: Impact and Solutions, and Crane Structural Safety.
A three-part series exploring engineering and environmental issues supporting Building Safety. Topics include Electrical Safety, Poor Ventilation: Impact and Solutions, and Crane Structural Safety.
Building Safety
Safety in building construction traces to the Code of Hammurabi around 1750 BC, offering rather straightforward dis-incentives of re-work or death. A mere six rules pertained to damages due a builder for his failure to properly construct a home. Building and natural catastrophes like the Great Fire of London (1666), the Great Fire of Chicago (1871), 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, and more recent Hurricane Sandy led to voluminous developments to identify risks, create consistent standards, and changes to reflect new materials and methods.
The International Code Council’s (ICC) 2015 International Building Code contains slightly less than 700 pages; 35 chapters and 13 appendices, with the singular focus of providing a model for minimum acceptable safety standards to protect public health and welfare for every type of building occupancy. Modern codes go one step further and also provided minimum standards for sustainability related to energy consumption. And the IBC is just one of many standards and guidelines we work with in industrial, commercial, municipal projects.
Part 1: Electrical Safety
Opportunities for electrical faults and associated health risks to workers exist throughout industrial, municipal, and institutional facilities, with electrical distribution equipment and large equipment associated with manufacturing, process systems, research, HVAC, and central utility plants. The IBC by reference to the NEC (National Electrical Code) and NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) dictates that an electrical system be evaluated for Arc Flash hazards and that equipment be appropriately labeled according to the protection required. Hazards associated with electricity is a serious workplace hazard; The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI http://www.epri.com/Pages/Default.aspx ) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/) have very good videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZP47mlELSc and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RkbMdaeq0o ) describing research into arc flash and stories by those affected by incidents.
Consider your building. Have you completed an ArcFlash Hazard Analysis for the facility? Do you have a defined electrical safety program and proper training and PPE for your employees? Does your electrical equipment have warning labels that comply with NFPA 70E, OSHA, or ANSI Z 535?
We can help. SSM supports numerous clients by performing comprehensive electrical distribution and equipment assessments; conducting short circuit analysis, time current coordination studies and identifying Hazards.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Emerick Martin, PE, Senior Electrical Engineer
Part 2: Ventilation Design
Since man began using indoor fires for heating, ventilation of indoor air has existed, and still today the primary source of indoor air quality issues result from inadequate ventilation. Contemporary building contaminants, including VOC’s and synthetic fibers from building and furnishing materials; microbials, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, radon, asbestos, etc. can trigger discomfort, illness, allergic reactions, and temperature and humidity both impact concentrations of certain contaminants. In broad terms, ventilation design involves natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation, or local exhaust.
Well designed and maintained HVAC systems provide thermal comfort while using outdoor air to ventilate, dilute, isolate, and exhaust odors and contaminants. The ICC, through The International Building Code (IBC), by reference to ASHRAE 55-2010, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy and; 62.1-2010, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality dictates comfort (temperature, humidity, air movement) and ventilation parameters. Comfort and ventilation standards have significantly evolved since the very early part of the 20th century when the first standards for thermal comfort and ventilation became requirements, to reflect changing patterns in building space use, outdoor pollutants, complex variety of chemicals and components in building and furnishing materials, energy conservation goals, to name a few.
Building Standards will continue to transform especially in regards to ventilation, to resolve the seemingly disparate design goals for more ventilation and lower energy consumption. Particularly interesting developments for design integration of energy simulation and CFD (computational fluid dynamics) in the design process, and occupant-specific, dynamic systems, are promising.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bruce Bell, PE, Senior Technical Director, Mechanical and Plumbing Engineering
Part 3: Structural Alterations and Additions
The average building life cycle of non-residential structures extends many, many years. In fact, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2012 report, Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, “commercial buildings remain in use for many decades. Although about 12% of commercial buildings (comprising 14% of commercial floorspace) were built since 2003, the commercial building stock is still fairly old, with about half of all buildings constructed before 1980; the median age of buildings in 2012 was 32 years.” It’s also true that within a short period of time, buildings become functionally unsuitable, or that facilities constructed for one product or purpose evolves to serve another.
So, distinct from normal operations and maintenance activities, continuous investment in research and development, production and logistics requires that alterations, additions, reuse, reallocation of space be permitted to comply with building safety standards, including structural codes. Like the applicable zoning, electrical, mechanical, plumbing codes, the structural codes are also updated to reflect new or better understood threats to building safety. For instance, it is important that new equipment installation for research or manufacturing tools be evaluated for foundation or floor structural capacity. Similarly, a comprehensive building structural analysis may be necessary with the installation of new overhead cranes or conveying equipment installation where there exists multiple generations of similar equipment; it’s not atypical to discover that over time and staff turnover, historical knowledge of the building changes are lost.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Patrick McCoy, PE
2016 PA Groundwater Symposium
Tackling Complexity through Stochastic Modeling
Tackling Complexity through Stochastic Modeling
A Hydrogeologic Study of the Gettysburg Basin
Tackling Hydrogeologic Complexity
Intermediate-scale geologic features exert a large influence on the groundwater flow patterns.
Suspected seasonal reversals of groundwater flow direction complicate the groundwater flow regime mapping.
Stochastic modeling techniques were employed to frame the unquantified variations inherent within this unique hydrogeologic system.
Source water protection zones were generated by aggregating thousands of flow simulations that meet observed criterion ranges.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Alfred Guiseppe, PG, Director Water Supply and Development
DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION HANDOUTS
2016 PA Groundwater Symposium: In celebration of National Drinking Water Week, Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection along with numerous other sponsors presented the 2016 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State College, PA The Symposium theme, The Changing Climate of Groundwater, provided a forum for researchers, students, professionals and educators working in the groundwater field to exchange information and promote protection of groundwater resources throughout the state.
The Source
Source Water Protection: regulatory and legislative updates | best practices | new technologies
Source Water Protection
- Regulatory and Legislative Updates
- Best Practices
- New Technologies
ARC FLASH HAZARD ANALYSIS
The Arc Flash Hazard Analysis identifies the levels of incident energy throughout the system.The Arc Flash Hazard Analysis identifies the levels of incident energy throughout the system.
The Arc Flash Hazard Analysis identifies the levels of incident energy throughout the system.
An arc flash is the result of a rapid release of energy (light and heat) due to an arcing fault between electrical conductor(s) and another electrical conductor(s) or ground with enough electrical energy to cause damage or fire, and injury. During an arc fault air becomes the conductor. A massive amount of energy discharges during the arc flash or blast. This energy burns the conductors, vaporizing the copper and thus causing an explosive volumetric increase, the arc blast. This explosion propels deadly shrapnel and molten metal as it dissipates. This rapid release of energy can cause debilitating burns, other injuries and even death. Without an Arc-Flash Hazard Analysis, employers cannot properly protect their personnel from arc-flash.
Elements of the Hazard Analysis
- Short Circuit Study- The short circuit study calculates the maximum short circuit current the electrical power system may be subjected to at each equipment location through out the distribution network from the sources such as utilities, generators, and motors. The equipment includes substations, switchgear, motor control centers, and panels with their respective over current protective devices; generators; transforms; motors; and UPS equipment. The short circuit results determine the required ratings for electrical equipmen6t to adequately sustain the fault current capacity of the system. If a short circuit occurs, the electrical power system’s available energy is directed to the point of the fault in amounts that greatly exceed the normal operating currents, and the equipment must have the ability tow withstand and interrupt these large currents until the protective device opens to clear the faulted portion of the circuit.
- Protective Device Evaluation - The protective device evaluation study determines if the equipment ratings needed to sustain the fault currents calculated by the Short Circuit Study are adequate. Each circuit breaker, bus, etc., is reviewed in regards to the available short circuit to determine that the equipment can adequately withstand the fault current.
- The Protective Device Time Current Coordination - The protective device time current coordination study reviews the relay and circuit breaker trip settings, fuses, and their operating time and current characteristics in order to properly coordinate these settings with upstream and downstream devices so that any faults are isolated to the location of the fault; hence, limiting the impact to the remaining portions of the system. The coordination study is used in an Arc Flash study to determine the length of time an arc would occur which is directly related to the incident energy associated with an arc flash event.
What the Analysis Reveals
The Hazard Analysis will identify the locations which require PPE greater than Category 0. The review determines if there are possible arc flash mitigation recommendations that can be implemented to reduce the incident energy levels. Such recommendations might include device setting changes, replacement of molded case type circuit breakers with static trip type circuit breakers, changing fuse types, or installation of additional fused disconnects or circuit breakers. As a result of reducing the incident energy levels the corresponding Category of PPE required to work on the equipment while energized is reduced.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Emerick Martin, PE, Senior Electrical Engineer
Sinkholes and Why They Matter
Sinkholes can be dangerous in many ways. They can cause damage to the foundation of a building, they serve as conduits for surficial contaminants to reach groundwater, and they can cause damage to buried services like water lines and electrical conduits according to Conserve Energy Future. Knowing the risk of sinkhole formation is key to minimizing possible damages.
Sinkholes can be dangerous in many ways.
MEASURING SINKHOLE POTENTIAL RISK
Karst is defined as “a terrain, generally underlain by limestone, in which the topography is chiefly formed by the dissolving of rock, and which is commonly characterized by Karren, closed depressions, subterranean drainage, and caves” by the Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1899. Each component listed above (Karren, closed depressions, subterranean drainage, and caves) are considered karst features, but most importantly, sinkholes are considered karst features.
Sinkholes can be dangerous in many ways. They can cause damage to the foundation of a building, they serve as conduits for surficial contaminants to reach groundwater, and they can cause damage to buried services like water lines and electrical conduits according to Conserve Energy Future. Knowing the risk of sinkhole formation is key to minimizing possible damages.
Since the amount of karst features in an area can be related to the occurrence of sinkholes, an interactive sinkhole risk map was created using the density of karst features within a geologic formation.
Interactive Sinkhole Risk Map
The Interactive Sinkhole Risk Map provides access to searchable and interactive information such as karst density and geologic formations which contain carbonate rocks within Pennsylvania. The map displays only geologic formations in which the geologic unit contains carbonate rocks. There is the possibility of sinkholes forming in non-carbonate environments, but those situations were not considered in the making of this map. Explore the Interactive Sinkhole Risk Map to view the Sinkhole Risk for any location.
If a sinkhole evaluation of a location is desired, SSM Group, Inc. has multiple professionals on staff with years of experience in sinkhole risk evaluations. Feel free to contact SSM Group, Inc. to learn more.
PEDA 2016 Spring Legislative Conference
One third of the 1,200 US enclosed shopping malls are dead or endangered.
The Dying Mall: Reinventing Shopping Malls to Revitalize the Community
What’s to become of the shell of America’s shopping mall history?
Malls with high vacancy rates, low consumer traffic, no anchor store, or dated and deteriorating structures are considered ‘dead.’ Green Street Advisors report there are approximately 1,200 enclosed malls across the country and 15% of those malls will fail or be converted into non-retail space within the next 10 years. Online shopping, the recession, and demographic shifts are the key factors leading to this death toll. A change to the way we shop has led some mall owners to change the set-up of their mall, re-arranging like stores together, adding new anchors (like Apple stores) or new features (like daycare or children’s play areas) and changing the food court to a dining terrace with upgrades from fast food to sushi bars. While these approaches may save some shopping malls, the hard truth remains that many of these malls will not return to the glory of their past; but will instead close leaving behind a gigantic concrete shell on an island of macadam.
We'll be talking about the revitalization efforts at the PEDA 2016 Spring Conference!
For more information:
Terry Reed, Vice President Business Development
A great time to explore Solar opportunities in PA
Why Solar Now in PA? Prices for solar systems have fallen by nearly 60% over the past five years. The lowered prices combined with incentives currently available make solar particularly attractive.
WHY NOW?
Prices for solar systems have fallen by nearly 60% over the past five years. The lowered prices combined with incentives currently available make solar particularly attractive
SSM Group, Inc and RER Energy Group, LLC are offering a seminar on solar photovoltaic energy for commercial, industrial, and municipal enterprises to explore the current opportunities in Pennsylvania.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND? The seminar will benefitbusiness owners, municipal officials, and all personnel who are responsible for managing electrical energy systems and associated costs.
ON THE AGENDA
Financial Incentives and Options
Federal Tax Credit: 30% of project costs
Accelerated Depreciation: 5 years (50% in the first two years)
Financing Options and PPA’s (Purchase Power Agreements)
Effective cost of energy for businesses: $0.03–$0.05 per kWh for next 25–35 years!
Technology Best Practices and Case Studies
Equipment and Installation Options
Utility Interconnection and Net Metering Considerations
Case Study Examples
Snow and Your Roof
The snow is deep and as the weather begins to creep out of freezing, the addition of rain or snow melt into the mix can become a real threat. While all exposed roofs could be at risk, older flat roofs and roofs with poor drainage are the most susceptible to collapse due to snow.
With winter weather well under way, we can't help but raise our eyes to our roofs, and notice the snow piling up. The snow is getting deeper, and as the weather begins to creep out of freezing, the addition of rain or snow melt into the mix can become a real threat. While all exposed roofs could be at risk, older flat roofs and roofs with poor drainage are the most susceptible to collapse due to snow.
Newer roofs should have been designed for the minimum snow load as prescribed in the International Building Code, and the ASCE 7 – Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. Typically in the Berks County area, the design ground snow load is 30 pounds per square foot (PSF), which equates to just over 20 inches of dense snow. Additional snow load needs to be considered where snow from an adjacent sloped roof can slide onto a lower roof. Also, additional load from drifting snow must be considered when portions of the roof abut parapets, roof top equipment or higher roofs. Lastly, rain-on-snow surcharge can add 5 PSF for every inch of rain that is retained on the roof by the snow or poor drainage.
If you think your roof is at risk, you should contact a structural engineer to evaluate your roof condition. It may be necessary to remove some of the accumulated snow, clear roof drains, or provide temporary shoring to lessen the burden on the structural members. The removal of snow can be very dangerous, and is a job best left to a professional.
SSM Group, Inc. Announces Management Changes - Brian Kelly named President and CEO
SSM Group, Inc. recently announced a corporate management restructure. Brian R. Kelly has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the firm. Kelly, who formerly served as the company’s Executive Vice President with responsibility of running the firm’s operations, replaces J. Carlton Godlove, II, who has left the company to pursue other interests.
Kelly is one of four McCoy family members who assumed control and management of the firm in 1996. Kelly has an Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining the SSM management team, Kelly was employed at AT&T for more than 17 years in various roles. Kelly resides in Reading with his wife, Kay McCoy Kelly, who is a daughter of the company’s founder, Lewis J. McCoy, Sr. In a prepared statement, Kelly said, “I look forward to leading the company as we embark upon strategic growth and expansion. I am very proud of our exceptionally talented senior leadership team and all of our employees, and I am confident that, with their help and support, we will continue to grow the company and succeed at fulfilling our corporate mission – ‘Enhancing the quality of life for our clients, our employees, and all of the people touched by our work.’ Our work is so important because it touches this generation and future generations with a scope broader than we can imagine – and it leaves a legacy that will live far beyond us.”
“Approximately six months ago we appointed a team of independent professionals to work with us as members of an Advisory Board: Thomas A. Beaver, CPA, former managing partner at RKL; Patricia L. Langiotti, President of Creative Management Concepts; and Mike Shor, former executive with Carpenter. These Advisory Board members have played a key role in helping us plan for our future,” Kelly said.
Kelly also announced that shareholder, Patrick M. McCoy, PE, has been promoted to Executive Vice President. “Patrick will lead the company’s business development and sales and marketing efforts and he will be a strong right-hand man,” Kelly said. Patrick McCoy has been with the firm since 1996. He graduated from Drexel University, like his father, and holds Bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering and Architectural Engineering. McCoy formerly led the company’s Facilities and Site Engineering Division which provides services to worldwide companies such as IBM. Prior to joining SSM, he was with Ortega Consulting, Media, PA, and Gredell & Associates, Wilmington, DE.
Shareholder Lewis J. (Lou) McCoy, Jr. of Reading, who joined the firm in 1985, will continue in his role as Director of Human Resources.
Catherine (Kitty) Bell, who joined the firm in 2004, is being promoted to Divisional Vice President. Formerly the firm’s Vice President of Facility Engineering, she assumes an expanded role, with additional management responsibility for Site Engineering and Survey and Data Capture disciplines (formerly managed by Patrick McCoy). Bell resides in Reading, PA.
SSM Group, Inc. is an engineering and consulting firm founded by Lewis J. McCoy, Sr. in 1967. The company continues to be family owned and operated. Headquartered at 1047 North Park Road in Wyomissing with satellite offices in Harrisburg and the Lehigh Valley, SSM has just under 100 employees and provides services to various types of local, regional and national businesses that include commercial, industrial, manufacturing and telecommunications as well as healthcare and higher education institutions. The company also provides services to numerous local, regional, and county government entities. While the company’s primary market is a regional footprint including Berks County and the Lehigh Valley, SSM serves clients throughout PA and the Northeastern United States as well as to some international clients.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Brian Kelly, President and CEO
brian.kelly@ssmgroup.com | P: 610-621-2000
Tim East joins SSM Group
SSM welcomes Timothy East as Graduate Engineer in our Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineering Department. Tim is responsible for mechanical design and preparation of scope, plans, and specifications for industrial, commercial and institutional building projects. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Wilkes University.
Aaron Pysher, GIT Joins SSM Group
SSM welcomes Aaron Pysher, GIT as Graduate Geologist. Aaron is a Geologist-In-Training (GIT) responsible for field and technical support of various water resources projects including public water supply development, infiltration testing, sinkhole investigations, and groundwater modeling and analysis. He received his BS in Professional Geology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
The Source - November 2015
Regulatory and legislative updates, best practices, and new technologies.
WHAT’S INSIDE
- Unassessed Waters Project Successful in Berks County
- Strategies for Successful Implementation
- Consider the Source Campaign
- New Faces in Sourcewater Protection
- Good Water = Good Life
DEP Offers Funding for Projects to Improve Local Water Quality by Reducing Stormwater Runoff
Grant Opportunity: Municipalities, including cities, boroughs, or incorporated towns within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are eligible to apply.
Grants will fund urban stormwater best management practices in Chesapeake Bay Watershed
HARRISBURG, PA -- The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has opened a grant program to control urban stormwater and improve local water quality. Municipalities, including cities, boroughs, or incorporated towns within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are eligible to apply.
“Urban stormwater runoff has a big role in local water quality, it’s so important to manage that stormwater properly to prevent pollution from reaching our waterways,” said DEP Secretary John Quigley. “These grants will serve as a valuable tool to enable local governments to improve their urban stormwater management and ultimately, their water quality and that of their neighbors downstream.”
The grants will fund construction of urban stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the discharge of nutrients and sediments delivered to local waterways, and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. Eligible projects include but are not limited to:
• Raingardens/bioretention
• Permeable pavement
• Urban stream restoration
• Urban tree planting
• Green roofs
• Wetlands and wet ponds
Projects must be complete within two years of grant award. Grants will be selected on a competitive basis.
The money for these grants is provided by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. There is $2,300,000 available for the grant program. The maximum funding amount per applicant is $200,000.
Projects cannot be associated with new development or for new detention basins. Projects must be within urbanized areas according to the latest Decennial Census in which National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit coverage is required for the discharge of stormwater from municipal separate storm sewer systems, or for discharges from combined sewer overflows through combined sewer systems.
Grant applications are due no later than October 9.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120
CONTACT: Amanda Witman, DEP, 717-787-1323
CONTACT: Leif Rowles at lerowles@pa.gov or 717-783-2290.
SSM GROUP: Mark Stabolepszy, PE, Vice President Municipal Engineering and Planning
Higher Education
Focus on the Campus.
Focus on the campus
Your focus is education. Our focus is you. SSM answers the multi-faceted needs of educational campuses with a single source for engineering and consulting services. We understand what institutions of learning need, and we deliver cost-effective, sustainable services. We’re solution-oriented.
Investigating mold and indoor air quality issues. Engineering new building systems. Renovating old structures for new life. SSM answers the multi-faceted needs of college and university campuses with a single source for engineering and consulting services. We collaborate with the school's facility team to balance the needs of the administrators, faculty, and students, and guide the team toward the project goals with responsible fiscal and environmental stewardship. The specifics vary, but one course is always part of the program: ensuring a safe and healthy environment for students and staff to learn, live, and work.
The Source - July 2015
July 2015 Inside this Issue:
- Safe Drinking Water Celebrates 40th Anniversary
- WREN Awards $19,000 for Drinking Water Protection Projects in Pennsylvania
- Partnership with PA Manufactured Housing Association
- Challenges of Protecting Pennsylvania’s Unconventional Springs
JULY 2015 | The Source
Regulatory and legislative updates, best practices, and new technologies.
Clean Water Rule
The Clean Water Rule protects streams and wetlands that we depend on for our health, communities, and economy.
INDUSTRY UPDATE: Clean Water Rule
There’s been much buzz surrounding the Clean Water Rule, recently issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. While the rule aims to clarify permitting regulations already in place with the Clean Water Act of 1972, many are worried it will create new stringent and burdensome regulations. Sixteen states have filed lawsuits against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over the rule. In an attempt to protect streams and wetlands, the Clean Water Rule simply enhances the Clean Water Act, responding to more than a decade’s worth of requests to more clearly define the water bodies and waterways referenced in the Clean Water Act.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, clarification of the definitions of the waters protected by the Clean Water Act, will protect valuable water resources and help make permitting less costly, easier, and faster for business and industry. This is because it eliminates much confusion over which waterways are regulated, and how they are to be regulated. This reduces the time and resources required to submit and approve a permit. While environmental groups and some businesses support the rule, claiming the clean water is central their operations, other interests have mounted opposition to the rule, citing it as an example of burdensome federal overreach.
The Clean Water Rule is the result of more than 400 meetings with stakeholders from all over the country, over 1 million public comments, and the latest scientific research showing that the health of small tributaries and wetlands play an integral role in the health of larger, downstream bodies of water. By ensuring that our smaller tributaries and wetlands are covered by Clean Water Rule, the drinking water sources of more than 117 million Americans will now be protected that may not have had sufficient coverage under the Clean Water Act alone.
Only types of waters already addressed by the Clean Water Act are included in the Clean Water Rule, which does not create any new permitting requirements for agriculture. It also maintains all previous exemptions and exclusions, including activities like planting, harvesting, and moving livestock. The rule does not regulate most ditches, groundwater, shallow subsurface flows, or tile drains, and only requires a Clean Water Act permit if a protected water is going to be polluted or destroyed by an activity. Moreover, the rule does not place regulations on land use.
Not only is the rule important for the health of the surface water sources we utilize for drinking water, the water ways protected by this rule are beneficial to many aspects of our communities. Wetlands and streams trap floodwaters, recharge groundwater supplies, filter pollution, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and are important for recreation and commercial value.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Alfred Guiseppe, PG
Katie Baltzley joins SSM Group, Inc.
Katie Baltzley joins SSM Group, Inc.
SSM Group, Inc., a multi-disciplined engineering and consulting firm based in Reading PA, welcomes Katie Baltzley as a GIS Technician in the Water Resources Department. Baltzley will be responsible for creating and managing GIS data in support of a variety of environmental, municipal, and industrial projects including producing maps and customized GIS applications for our Water Resources, Source Water Protection, and Comprehensive Planning projects. She received her BA degree in Geography from Millersville University.
Source Water Protection
Protecting our Water Resources
SSM is committed to providing water systems the tools needed to protect their precious water supply through a variety of consulting services.
Before you can protect drinking water, you need to know its source. The first step in developing a source water protection plan is verifying the source for the water supply. Once confirmed, we work closely with the water supplier and community representatives to identify ways of protecting these areas.
We characterize potential sources of contamination, develop protective management strategies, plan for emergencies, and provide new water supply options. Our professionals delineate protective zones around each well or surface water intake to show the areas that contribute to the drinking water supply and educate stakeholders on watershed improvement.