STRATEGIC INTERIM WATER PLAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………………………...3

II. OBJECTIVES…………………………………………………………………..7

III. BACKGROUND………………………………………………………………..9

IV. SUPPLY………………………………………………………………………..13

V. DEMAND……………………………………………………………………….21

VI. CONSERVATION……………………………………………………………..35

Appendix A - Annual Max Day Demand from 1961 through 2001

Appendix B - City of Frederick Residential Development Demand

Appendix C - Non-Residential Water Demand Table

Appendix D - Water Conservation Drought & Response Plan

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of this study is to analyze water supply and water demand issues facing the City of Frederick and develop a reasoned response. Further this plan is intended to help guide City policy actions. The central focus of this report is establishing a solitary comprehensive set of water policies.

Water management planning has become increasingly important for the City of Frederick. Population growth and lack of rainfall have sharpened the City’s attention on its water supply. Throughout the State of Maryland, scarcity of supply and escalating development costs, along with heightened environmental concerns, has changed the way that communities plan.

Given that future water supply projects are becoming increasingly expensive and could have significant environmental impacts, the City will investigate water conservation, as well as traditional water supplies to meet its future needs. This approach is consistent with the City’s goals of natural resource management and the provision of a sustainable water supply.

The chart below reflects the central priorities that the City of Frederick has established in order to resolve the current water situation. This report will serve to help focus the City’s resources on specific policies and strategies required to bring this issue to a final resolution, and it will also enable the pubic to monitor the City’s progress throughout this process. Each policy statement can be found in the body of this report along with an explanation of the issue, the lead agency, the implantation strategy, the anticipated completion date and anticipate cost.

Prioritized Ranking of Policy/Action Statements

Supply

Policy S-8: Pursue the drilling of reliable wells to supplement the City’s water supply.

Policy S-11: Work with Frederick County to secure the Potomac River as a principal water source.

Policy S-12: Develop a funding mechanism to ensure that the burden of establishing the Potomac River as a water source is applied fairly to all the potential users.

Policy S-5: Construct a river gauging station at the Monocacy River Water Treatment Plant

Demand

Policy D-3: Establish an interim and long-term policy on Max-Day

Policy D-4: Establish an interim and long-term policy on Average Household Consumption Rates.

Policy D-5: Develop realistic water demand.

Policy D-6: Establish a growth management monitoring system that tracks water demand at each stage of the development processes.

Conservation

Policy C-8: Assign the responsibilities of water conservation to the Chief Operations Officer

Policy C-1: Conduct water demand audits for the top 100 water users and encourage water conservation measures.

Policy C-5: Educate City residents and business about water conservation

Policy C-7: Adopt a Drought Response Plan.
Supply (Continued)

Policy S-4: Work with MDE to modify the existing MDE permit to reduce the flow-by requirements placed on Fishing Creek.

Policy S-6: Work with MDE to modify the existing MDE permit to reduce the flow-by requirements placed on Monocacy River.

Policy S-1: Replace the Lake Linganore spillway to allow for the minimum flow-by requirement of not less than 3,100 gpm.

Policy S-2: Participate with Frederick County and Lake Linganore HOA to improve the capacity of Lake Linganore.

Policy S-9: Pursue the piping and processing of water from the Lafarge Quarry to supplement the City’s water supply system.

Policy S-3: Evaluate the existing mountain sources to determine their optimum use as part of the City’s water system.

Policy S-7: Evaluate the long-term capacity and production at the Monocacy River Treatment Plant.

Policy S-10: Consider the cost benefit analysis of trucking water to the Monocacy WTP to alleviate restrictions placed on the City of Frederick by MDE.

Demand (Continued)

Policy D-7: Conduct an annual report evaluating the assumptions and projections that are used in this report.

Policy D-2: Reduce water system loss to 10 percent.

Policy D-1: Institute universal metering including City buildings.

Conservation (Continued)

Policy C-2: Establish new rates that promote conservation and finance needed water infrastructure improvements.