2/22/2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University has been honored by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for contributions it has made to protect its drinking water supply.
MSU was honored for its development of a Wellhead Protection Program, a planning and management approach designed to protect public groundwater supply from contamination.
As part of its plan, the MSU team inventoried potential sources of contamination within the area that supplies water to its wells and is working to implement best management practices within those areas to protect the water. The team also is developing an outreach and education component that will be aimed at students, faculty and staff.
The plan was submitted to and approved by the MDEQ this past year and will be implemented and reviewed by the campus team over the coming years. Currently, 78 Michigan communities have received approval for their wellhead protection plans.
"We are pleased that MSU is being recognized for its leadership in protecting the water supply of the university community," said Fred Poston, MSU vice president for finance and operations and treasurer. "Protecting groundwater is an investment with long-term benefits for both our health and the environment."
MSU's drinking water is obtained from 17 groundwater wells located south of the main campus. These wells tap into the Saginaw aquifer, a deep sandstone formation that provides drinking water to most of the municipal water supplies in the Eaton/Ingham/Clinton tri-county area.
It's estimated that about half of Michigan's population and the majority of public water supply systems rely on groundwater as the sole source of drinking water.
Members of the MSU team are:
- Sue Busnardo, MSU Department of Police and Public Safety
- Bob Ceru, MSU Office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety
- Bary Darling, University Farms
- Ben Darling, MSU Office of Land Management
- Steve Hadersbeck, Campus Park and Planning
- Ruth Kline-Robach, Institute of Water Research
- David Lusch, Center for Remote Sensing and GIS and Institute of Water Research
- Doug MacDonald, MSU Power and Water Department
- Mike St. Bernard, East Lansing and Meridian Water and Sewer Authority
Individuals who contributed to the development of the plan prior to their retirements were Frank D'Itri, Institute of Water Research, and Allan Brace, Office of Land Management. In addition, the project has been supported by Ron Flinn and Bob Ellerhorst of the MSU Physical Plant.
Implementation and continued monitoring of the program will be an ongoing effort by the team and other university personnel. Individuals who would like to provide input on wellhead protection issues for MSU should e-mail comments and suggestions to water@pplant.msu.edu.
The MDEQ award was presented to representatives of the university's wellhead protection team at the 2002 Michigan Wellhead Protection Conference in Mt. Pleasant.