Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin ICPRB

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Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
(ICPRB)

• ICPRB represents 5 states.
• Mission enhance, protect and conserve the water
  and associated land resources of the Potomac
  River basin and its tributaries through regional
  and interstate cooperation.

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ICPRB - Four major areas of interest

• Public information
• Water resources, quantity, and supply
• Water quality
• Living resources

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Potomac River Basin and the portion of the
Washington metropolitan area served (in part) by
the Potomac River
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Washington area three major water suppliers

• The three suppliers provide water to a total of
  3.6 million people.
• These suppliers cooperate during droughts,
  pooling their resources to maximize water supply
  reliability.

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Overview of study area and resources
Occoquan River
Patuxent River
Potomac River
Fairfax County Water Authority
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Rockville DPW
Washington Aqueduct COE
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
Arlington County DPW
Falls Church DPW
Vienna DPW
Prince William Service Authority
Virginia American Water Co.
Loudoun County Sanitation Authority
Key
Major Source
CO-OP utility
Wholesale or independent utility
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Water supply intakes and portion of Potomac
River protected by environmental flow
recommendation.
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1960-70s forecast of Potomac shortages

• In times of low-flow, predicted demands are
  higher than flow.
• Implication The COE, the most downstream water
  user, would run out of water if nothing were done.

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Proposed structural solutions

• Series of 16 reservoirs
• Interbasin transfers
• Pilot estuarine treatment plant

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LFAA - 1978

• No jurisdiction would suffer disproportionate
  shortages.
• Water rationed as a percentage of the normal
  wintertime water use.

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Water Supply Coordination Agreement (1981)

• Mandates that suppliers coordinate operation of
  all facilities.
• Minimizes chances of a shortfall.
• Payment formula for future water supplies based
  on incremental growth ratios.

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Potomac Basin and water supply reservoirs
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Jennings Randolph Reservoir
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Little Seneca Reservoir
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Patuxent (Duckett) Reservoir
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Occoquan Reservoir
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Little Falls intake
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Washington 1999 flows
Flow that would have occurred without a release
Jennings Randolph release
Target
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Potomac flows and demands
Higher flows
Median flows
Minimum flows
Demands
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Drought Management Issues

• Public response plan
• Media outreach and communications
• Practiced drought operations
• Utility and regional cooperation
• Planning for future demands

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Drought website (http//www.potomacriver.org,
follow link for Drought Exercise 2000)

• Water supply status and key operational data are
  updated each day during droughts and for drought
  exercises including
• Reservoir storage,
• River flow,
• Precipitation forecasts,
• Utility withdrawals, and
• Daily summaries.

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Todays probability of meeting demand

• If the worst recorded drought were to occur this
  summer, the three major Washington metropolitan
  area suppliers would be able to meet water
  demands.

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Tomorrows probability of meeting demand

• ICPRB continues to assess the reliability of the
  current water supply system for the Washington
  metropolitan area. The most recent study was
  completed in 2000 and is available at
  www.potomacriver.org/metrostudy.html

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Benefits of regional cooperation

• Smooth operations during drought.
• Systems based operating strategies minimize
  possibility of shortfall.
• Stronger management and a unified voice.
• Trust in the procedures and institutions in
  place.