AWWA ACE60057

The Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) of 1986 considered all groundwater under the influence of surface water to be "bad", essentially equivalent to surface water from a treatment point of view. Although the California American Water wells along the lower valley portion of the Carmel River in Monterey County obtained "groundwater" classification more than fifteen years ago, this fundamental assessment of "ground vs. surface" is under scrutiny. Separate regulatory action by the California State Water Resources Control Board (Board) in 1995, reclassified these wells to be part of a subterranean stream and subject to jurisdiction of the Board. Although the action was intended to control the allocation of water rights, this reclassification of the type of water initiated action by the California Department of Health Services, which regulates water quality / water supply per the Safe Drinking Water Act. This study presents various physical, microbiological and plankton data that indicates that the water quality of the wells from the Lower Carmel Valley Aquifer are significantly different than, and are not under the influence of, surface water from the Carmel River. The monitoring program was conducted over a one-year period beginning in February 2003 and ending in February 2004. Testing included: bi-weekly water quality testing; and, microscopic particulate analysis (MPA) tests conducted on the seven well supplies, once each during high and low flow periods on the Carmel River. Data analysis indicates that the water quality from the California American Water groundwater wells in the lower valley portion of the Carmel River are significantly different than the water quality of the Carmel River, and that the wells are not under the direct influence of surface water. Includes reference, tables, figures.