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Delaware Water Supply Coordinating Council
Water Supply Coordinating Council
In August 2003,
Governor Minner signed House Bill 203 */(Chap 13, Title 26 $ 1305/**/
-/**/ 1308)/**/ /*reauthorizing the Delaware Water Supply Coordinating
Council (WSCC) through January 1, 2010. HB 203 authorized the WSCC
to encourage the development of over one billion gallons of additional
water supply storage in northern New Castle County (north of the Chesapeake
and Delaware Canal) since the drought of 1999 and
coordinate water supply planning and management. The new law also
expanded membership statewide and authorized the WSCC to prepare updated
water supply and demand studies for growing areas in Delaware including:
- Southern
New Castle County: Middletown, Odessa, Townsend, and environs
- Kent County:
Greater Dover area and suburbs
- Sussex County:
Inland Bays and coastal regions
State Water Coordinator
In July 2000, Governor
Carper signed HB 549 which appointed the University of Delaware, Institute
for Public Administration - Water Resources Agency (IPA-WRA) as the
State Water Coordinator. The mission of the Water Coordinator is to
work cooperatively with the water purveyors in northern Delaware to
ensure that over 1 billion gallons of new water supplies are developed
in accordance with a schedule recommended by the Governor's Water
Supply Task Force after the drought of 1999. Along with the Water
Coordinator, HB 549 appointed the DGS and the Delaware DNREC as a
triad of water advisors to the WSCC. The State Water Coordinator appointment
expired by law on December 31, 2003, but continues formally into 2006
by resolution of the WSCC.
Water Supply Coordinating Council
HB 549 also appointed
the WSCC for a tenure extending until December 31, 2003. The WSCC
was directed to 1) promote new water supplies in northern New Castle
County to meet peak demands based on the drought of record; and 2)
work cooperatively in a public-private effort between government and
water purveyors to manage water supplies more efficiently in Delaware.
The following
public and private entities were appointed to the WSCC:
- Office of
the Governor
- Secretary
of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental
Control (Chair)
- Secretary
of the Department of Public Safety
- Secretary
of the Delaware Department of Agriculture
- Executive
Director of the Public Service Commission
- Director
of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency
- Director
of the Delaware Geological Survey
- Director
of the Delaware Division of Public Health
- Public Advocate
- Executive
Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission
- New Castle
County Executive
- Artesian
Water Company
- City of
Newark
- City of
Wilmington
- New Castle
Municipal Services Commission
- Tidewater
Utilities, Inc.
- United Water
Delaware
- New Castle
County Chamber of Commerce
- Delaware
State Chamber of Commerce
- Delaware
Nursery and Landscape Association
- Delaware
Professional Grounds Management Society
- Delaware
State Golf Association
- Delaware
Nature Society
- Coalition
for Natural Stream Valleys
- New Castle
County Civic League
The WSCC or
its subcommittees have met on the following dates:
| 2000
|
March
3 |
Carvel
State Office Building, Wilmington, Del. |
| |
March
24 |
Carvel
State Office Building, Wilmington, Del. |
| |
May
22 |
Delaware
Geological Survey, Newark, Del. |
| |
July
3 |
New
Castle County Chamber of Commerce, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
Oct.
4 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| 2001 |
Jan.
10 |
United
Water Delaware, Stanton, Del. |
| |
March
14 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
June
14 |
United
Water Delaware, Stanton, Del. |
| |
Oct.
4 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| 2002 |
Feb.
5 |
United
Water Delaware, Stanton, Del. |
| |
April
17 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
July
10 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
Sept.
11 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
Oct.
17 |
Delaware
DNREC, New Castle, Del. |
| |
Nov.
21 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
Dec.
12 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| 2003 |
May
22 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
July
16 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
Oct.
9 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| |
Dec.
11 |
Artesian
Water Company, Churchman's Crossing, Del. |
| 2004 |
Jan.
13 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
Feb.
25 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
June
24 |
Delaware
Technical & Community College - Terry Campus, Dover, Del. |
| |
Sept.
30 |
DNREC
Lukens Building, New Castle, Del. |
| |
Oct.
21 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| 2005 |
March
3 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
April
29 |
DELDOT
- Farmington/Felton Room, Dover, Del. |
| |
Nov.
21 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
Dec.
6 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
Dec.
8 |
Kent
County Administration Building, Dover , Del. |
| 2006 |
Jan.
12 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
Jan.
26 |
Kent
County Administration Building, Dover , Del. |
| |
Feb.
16 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
May
3 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
May
17 |
Kent
County Administration Building, Dover, Del. |
| |
June
13 |
University
of Delaware Water Resources Agency, Newark, Del. |
| |
June
20 |
DNREC
Lukens Building, New Castle, Del. |
The WSCC met under
Executive Order 74 (12/30/99) before HB 549 was signed in July 2000.
In August 2003, Governor Minner signed HB 203 which reauthorized the
WSCC through January 1, 2010, expanded the membership of the WSCC
to include statewide representation, and appointed the DGS and IPA-WRA
as voting members. The new mandate of the WSCC is to work cooperatively
to achieve water supply self sufficiency in northern New Castle County
(eliminate dependence on out of state supplies) by 2010 and to develop
water supply plans for southern New Castle County, Kent County, and
Sussex County. Section 1306(c) of the WSCC law specifically states
that:
"The
principal duty of the Council shall be to work cooperatively with
WRA, DGS, DNREC, and DPH to achieve water supply self sufficiency
in northern New Castle County by 2010, and to develop and publish
water supply plans for southern New Castle County, Kent County
and Sussex County. These plans shall identify and describe uses,
localities or areas where water supply issues exist and identify
and describe localities or areas where future water supply issues
may occur. These areas and uses should include, but not be limited
to Middletown-Odessa-Townsend, Dover and central Kent County,
Coastal Sussex County and agricultural irrigation uses. These
plans shall contain an estimate of existing and future public
and private water supplies and water demands through 2025. Private
demands shall take into account, to the maximum extent practicable,
all domestic, industrial, and irrigation uses."
The following
entities were added as members of the expanded WSCC:
- University
of Delaware, Institute for Public Administration - Water Resources
Agency
- Kent County
- Sussex County
- Public Water
Supply Utility in Sussex County Association of Towns (SCAT)
- Public Water
Supply Utility in League of Local Governments, Kent County
- Delaware
Rural Water Association
- National
Association of Water Companies, Delaware Chapter (not already
represented in NCC)
- Local Chamber
of Commerce in New Castle County
- Local Chamber
of Commerce in Kent County
- Local Chamber
of Commerce in Sussex County
- Delaware
Farm Bureau
- Center for
Inland Bays
- State Fire
Marshal
The Secretary of
DNREC (or his/her designee) serves as Chair of the WSCC. The Council,
by majority vote, may designate additional members and also establish
subcommittees to deal with specific water supply issues and plans.
IPA-WRA continues as State Water Coordinator by resolution of the
WSCC. |
