Sole Source Aquifer

Bryan Municipal Utilities, on behalf of the City of Bryan, has submitted a petition to the U.S. EPA Region 5 office in Chicago for Sole Source Aquifer designation for a portion of the aquifer that supplies the city with water.

A Sole Source Aquifer is an aquifer that supplies 50 percent or more of the drinking water for an area and for which there is no reasonable alternative source should the aquifer become contaminated.

The research conducted as part of the petition included a physical description of the aquifer and the local boundaries; identification of alternative drinking water sources; population, income, and water demand statistics within the designated area; and feasibility analyses of alternative source implementation design and costs.

The MICHINDOH Glacial Aquifer is the source of drinking water for cities, villages and private wells in portions of Branch, Hillsdale, and Lenawee counties in Michigan, portions of Steuben, and Dekalb Counties in Indiana and most of Williams, and portions of Fulton, and Defiance counties in Ohio. The development of a regional ground water partnership will help protect our unique aquifer.

The public may be asked to participate in the Sole Source Aquifer designation process by providing written comments to the EPA or attending a public hearing.

  Proposed Aquifer Boundary Map   (Adobe PDF file)

The Sole Source Aquifer program was established under Section 1424(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. This section authorizes the EPA Administrator to determine that an aquifer is the “sole or principal” source of drinking water for an area. The program also provides for EPA review of Federal financially assisted projects planned for the area to determine their potential for contaminating the aquifer.

In addition to EPA review of federally financed projects, the Sole Source Aquifer designation will

• help increase public awareness of the nature and value of local ground water resources.
• provide baseline data on water quality and quantity, recharge, and vulnerable areas.
• aid in managing hazardous materials within the aquifer area to protect groundwater and public health.
• attract businesses that use water in their processes.
• improve scoring for funding for ground and surface water protection grants.
• broaden well head protection to include recharge areas.
• inform planning for responsible growth that recognizes critical areas in the aquifer.