KEYSER, W.Va. — Residents of Keyser will be the only municipal water customers in Mineral County to see higher rates when a watershed plan required by the federal government to limit harmful runoff into the Chesapeake Bay goes into effect.
The rate change will affect those wastewater treatment plants that process more than 400,000 gallons of water per day or greater. The plants will be required to change their systems to provide water putting out less nitrogen, thus translating into high rates for customers.
At Tuesday’s Mineral County Commission meeting, Alana Hartman, eastern basin coordinator for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, presented the Watershed Implementation Plan, which is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“It is something the EPA is requiring in each of the Chesapeake jurisdictions,” said Hartman.
Farmers with a large number of animals will also be affected.
“If there is a farm with a large number of (livestock) in a confined area, they would have to comply with (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) CAFO guidelines,” said Hartman.
Hartman said the purpose of this is to have permitted farms and that the CAFO permit is not in effect yet, but the DEP hopes to have it in place by the end of the year.
“(The EPA) wants control over 75 percent of those so they can say at some point in the future, these are now permitted farms,” said Hartman.
Those livestock guidelines are set by the EPA and include a nutrient management plan. The guidelines would require those farmers who qualify to put up livestock exclusion fencing, or fencing that would restrict livestock’s access. Hartman said that 40 percent of pastures in West Virginia abut a stream, and that is where the fencing would have to be constructed to keep the livestock from trampling the sides of the streams and defecating in them.
“There are already cost-share programs for farmers to take advantage of,” said Hartman.
Other residents, who are not farm owners, will be encouraged to help cut down on rainwater and snowmelt runoff. As with many of the measures outlined, they will be voluntary, so as to not impose regulation.
“It will really help local water quality,” said Hartman.
As for the rising water rates, Hartman said that there will be oversight by the state Public Service Commission, which will monitor rates and provide loans and grants for communities.
“There are checks in place to help lessen the burden,” said Hartman.
Emily Newman can be contacted at enewman@times-news.com.
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