Existing Sources of Water

i. Elks Run: Elks Run is the main source of water. The intake is located 40 feet west of the pumping station and consists of a small surface impoundment, which diverts the flow from the stream into a concrete collection box. The collection box is protected by two stainless steel screens which are cleaned manually. From the collection box, the water flows by gravity to the lift station.

ii. Town Spring: The Town Spring is located 2500 feet northeast of the pump station. The water flows by gravity to the lift station and the overflow from the spring flows to Elks Run.

iii. Potomac River Dam#3: The Potomac River Intake is used as an emergency backup source when flow from Elk Run and Town Spring is not sufficient to meet the Town’s needs. The Potomac River Intake is located 1000 feet northeast of the treatment plant. The intake has 12” by 14” long intake screen. The intake is located approximately 60 feet offshore and is connected to a pre-cast concrete wet well by 10” ductile iron pipe. The intake is blown off as needed with compressed air using a portable tank, which is recharged at the treatment plant. The entry into the wet well is restricted by a locked access hatch.

The 1986 amendments to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) required States to develop Wellhead Protection (WHP) Programs to protect ground-water sources used by public water systems from contamination. West Virginia’s WHP Program under the WV Bureau for Public Health (WVBPH) was approved by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in March 1993. The responsibilities for WHP are shared among many stakeholders, but the foremost responsibility for ensuring that ground water is adequately protected is at the local government level because the authority to regulate land use resides there. The program involves the delineation of wellhead protection areas for wells and springs, identification of potential sources of ground-water contaminants and the development of management measures as a means to reduce the potential for contamination of the ground-water supply. …

Read the entire report:

Download Source Water Assessment and Protection Plan for Harpers Ferry Water Works, Jefferson County