Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP)
A source water assessment was completed under the NYS DOH’s Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP). The following is the Executive Summary of this report.
“The New York State Department of Health recently completed a draft Source Water Assessment of the raw water supply’s source under the state’s Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP). The purpose of this program is to compile, organize, and evaluate information regarding possible and actual threats to the quality of public water supply (PWS) sources. It is important to note that source water assessment reports estimate the potential for untreated drinking water sources to be impacted by contamination. These reports do not address the safety or quality of treated finished potable tap water.
The Great Lakes’ watershed is exceptionally large and too big for a detailed evaluation in the SWAP. General drinking water concerns for public water supplies which use these sources include: storm generated turbidity, wastewater, toxic sediments, shipping related spills, and problems associate with exotic species (e.g. zebra mussels – intake clogging and taste and odor problems). The SWAP is based on the analysis of the contaminant inventory compiled for the drainage area deemed most likely to impact drinking water quality at this public water supply raw water intake. This assessment found a moderate susceptibility to contamination for this source of drinking water. The amount of agricultural lands in the assessment area results in elevated potential for protozoa and disinfection byproduct precursor contamination. There is also a high density of sanitary wastewater discharges which results in elevated susceptibility for nearly all contaminant categories.
There is also noteworthy contamination susceptibility associated with other discrete contaminant sources, and these facility types include: Toxics Release Inventory facilities, Chemical Bulk Storage facilities, inactive hazardous waste sites, landfills and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act facilities.
If you have any questions about the state’s Source Water Assessment Program, please contact
Ms. Dolores Funke, P.E.,
Senior Public Health Engineer
Erie County Health Department
at 858-6966..”
For a complete copy of this report, contact the Erie County Health Department at 716-858-7677.