Successes
National Youth Watershed Summit
Click on the logo above for information about the Year of Clean Water.
Click on the logo above for EPA's Year of Clean Water Web site.
Go to EPA's Office of Water Web site for access to the Infrastructure Gap Analysis
Challenges
Wastewater needs
Construction of Paris, Ky., wastewater treatment plant and sewer line.
Kentucky's wastewater needs, as estimated in 2000, include:
Wastewater treatment
Sewer rehabilitation
New sewers
Combined sewer overflow correction
Total needs$ 755 million
$ 473 million
$ 1,348 million
$ 217 million
$ 2.793 billion
Straight pipes and failed septic systems
More than 36,000 straight pipes have been identified in the 38-county Eastern Kentucky PRIDE (Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment) service area alone, and many thousands more exist across the state. The Division of Water is inspecting all known and reported straight pipes and making an effort to discover others. Notices of Violation are being issued for documented straight pipes, directing violators to cease the discharge and to seek remedial assistance within 60 days. For straight pipes in PRIDE counties, information is included with the NOV concerning whom to contact. Additional enforcement action is to be taken where necessary.
A Bluegrass PRIDE office has been established in Lexington, serving 18 counties.
See more about East Kentucky PRIDE.
See more about Bluegrass PRIDE.
TMDLs
Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to submit to EPA a list of waters which do not meet water quality standards for their designated uses. The list derives from the Report to Congress on Water Quality (305[b] Report). See the 1998 303(d) List and the draft 2002 303(d) List.
States must prioritize this list of impaired waters, calculate an allowable amount of pollutants (the Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL) and devise implementation plans to remedy the impairment.
As the Watershed Management initiative amasses more and more information, more streams are being added to the 303(d) list. (The most recent list is currently in draft form and is available for public comment.) The more streams that are added to the list, the bigger the job becomes for calculating TMDLs and for devising and implementing mitigation plans.
TMDL numbers to date:
- 950 water bodies/pollutant combinations - 2002 303(d) List (draft)
From the 1998 303(d) List:
- 367 waterbody/pollutant combinations, plus 5 streams that weren't included in the 1998 report for a total of 372
- 44 TMDLs approved
- 53 Delistings/Modifications requests to be submitted with the 2002 303(d) Report, of which 22 have EPA Region 4 informal approval
- 38 TMDLs are currently under development
See more information about Kentucky's TMDL program.
See information about Kentucky's TMDLs at the U.S. EPA Web site.
Nonpoint source
Nonpoint sources of pollution are estimated to be responsible for two-thirds of impaired waters. Since these pollution sources are generally beyond the Division of Water's regulatory oversight, they must be managed through other means. Because much of nonpoint source pollution derives from personal activities, people must learn that what they do impacts water sources, both surface and groundwater.
