SPRINGBORO -- Rapid development in northern Warren County is straining the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer, one of the richest water sources in the country.
Environmentalists and regional leaders fear sprawling growth could outpace the aquifer's ability to recycle itself.
Warren County is the second-fastest growing county in the state. Its population rose from 99,276 in 1980 to an estimated 140,080 in 1997. And there's no sign the growth in Warren County and the surrounding areas will stop.
That surging demand for water increases the risk of contamination of the underground water supply used by 1.6 million people in Southwestern Ohio.
"Water is the elixir of life," said Ned Pennock, manager of the Miami Conservancy District's ground water program. "If you don't have water, physically you're not going to be able to locate a village, a town, a house. Right now, we have a fairly abundant source of water. We want to make sure that continues."
Preserving the integrity of ground water is vital for communities around the country. Although only 1 percent of the world's water is ground water, it is the primary source of drinking water. In Ohio, about 5 million residents rely on ground water and use 1 billion gallons a day. The Great Miami aquifer alone provides up to 200 million gallons a day for residents of nine counties, including Butler, Warren, Hamilton and Montgomery.
A conflict brewing between the northern Warren County communities of Springboro and Carlisle highlights the need for regional water planning and research to develop the long-term effects of development.
In February, Carlisle Village Council passed a measure it thinks will protect the water supply for homeowners who rely on personal wells -- about 85 percent of the village's 5,000 residents. The construction moratorium was a defensive move primarily against Springboro, which has placed an option on 20 acres within the village as a possible site for a new well field. Springboro is testing the land now to check water flow.
Council members banned construction of any high-capacity wells because they worried that additional municipal wells could jeopardize their water supply. And their fears aren't unfounded, said David Rager, director of Cincinnati Water Works.
A large municipal well is like a giant straw sucking up the ground water. While the increased demand likely won't sap the water supply, it could lower the water table, leaving all the shorter straws -- residential wells -- to draw air, not water.
"We just don't have the information about the aquifer," Carlisle Mayor Pat Long said. "We're making all these decisions without knowing what kind of impact they will have on the aquifer."
Development can affect aquifers in a number of ways, said Lara Whitely-Binder, who serves as the well-field protection coordinator for the Hamilton to New Baltimore Ground Water Consortium. The organization comprises area municipal and commercial water providers to study the Great Miami aquifer.
About the aquifer
Glacial movement 10,000 years ago widened and deepened an existing river valley and formed the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer. Lying between 20 and 300 feet below the surface and ranging between 1 and 3 miles wide, the aquifer generally follows the path of the Great Miami River, from Indian Lake north of Dayton to the Ohio River.
Although the perception of an aquifer is that of a large, underground river, the Great Miami aquifer actually is full of sand and gravel. The ground water is found in the spaces between the sediment. The water is recycled - or recharged - when rain or snow, area streams and the Great Miami River percolate through the ground.
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"Water is not created, it's just recycled," she said. "The water we drink now is the same water the dinosaurs drank."
As more of the ground is paved, there's less area for water to percolate down to the aquifer, Ms. Whitely-Binder said. Instead, the water is carried by storm sewer systems directly into the rivers. Oil, grease and other contaminants are bedfellows of development -- and natural enemies of a pure water supply.
"If contamination occurs, it can take decades to clean up and millions of dollars, if it can be cleaned up at all," said Ms. Whitely-Binder. "We need to get people to use water-wise methods," she said. "Just because we don't live in a desert doesn't mean we have water to waste. We have to protect it. It's the cornerstone to the growth of a community."
The availability of water could make or break future development in Springboro. Officials anticipate a huge population boom, jumping from about 10,000 to 22,000 in 10 years, City Manager Ed Doczy said. To accommodate the present population as well as absorb growth, Springboro needs more water. The city intends to build a 7 million-gallon water plant as part of a $9 million plan to increase water supply, lay new pipelines and drill new water wells.
In the past five years, the city has faced water emergencies and restrictions on water use. Springboro buys a minimum of 250,000 gallons of water daily from Franklin to meet the demand. City officials bumped monthly water and sewer rates for 1998 about $5 for the average resident. Homeowners can expect next year an increase of 3 percent to 8 percent.
"We're responsible to provide water to the community," Mr. Doczy said. "We need to have enough wells to guarantee our residents will have water when they need it."
Area governments need to think and act regionally to ensure continued quality and quantity of water, Mr. Doczy said. He hopes to work out a regional plan with officials in Franklin, Carlisle and Warren County.
