Water Supply Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

Burns & McDonnell is the third-party consultant under the technical direction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IV, Atlanta, for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed regional water supply, storage and interconnect program.

Burns & McDonnell efforts concentrated on the phased incremental expansion of the existing facility. This expansion will allow our client to meet the regional water supply needs of municipal partners for the next 20-year planning horizon, using surface water diverted from a nearby river during higher flow periods stored in an expanded aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) system.

The existing facility is a surface water treatment facility that uses multiple resource and source water management techniques including raw water withdrawal from a river, an off-stream reservoir for raw water storage, and an ASR system for treated water storage.

Several of the important issues addressed in the EIS were concerned with the impact of increased surface water diversions from the river and on the estuary, wetland presence, threatened and endangered species, surface and ground water hydrology and water quality, and secondary and cumulative project impacts. Initial EIS preparation efforts included the identification and review of existing source data, the identification of potential data gaps, the assessment of current and future project purpose and need, the evaluation of alternative water supply scenarios, and the subsequent identification of the river option as our client's preferred alternative. A Biological Assessment was prepared and provided as required by Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service for review and consideration.

Frequent coordination with various state and federal agencies, local county and municipal organizations, and environmental groups was maintained throughout the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District issued Section 404 permits under the Clean Water Act. Comments received during the Public Scoping Process from the public and state and federal agencies were used in the preparation of the Draft EIS.