The South Harrison Water Corporation has been exemplary in implementing wellhead protection measures since their first submittal in 2003. At that time they delineated a 10 year time of travel protection area which goes beyond the 5 year time of travel required in the State Rules. Since then, as owners of land covering their sanitary set-back area along the Ohio River, they converted 23 acres from row crop farming to conservation plantings, remediating erosion, protecting their wells from potential spills and releases of pesticides and fertilizers and increasing infiltration. With the consent of the County commissioners, they assumed ownership of the only public thoroughfare in their wellhead protection area and installed locked gates. They also installed stream bank stabilization structures around both wellheads. They recently updated their Contingency plan and keep it updated. The water superintendent reviews their inventory of potential sources annually.
The staff have been active in education activities, running annual ads in the local newspaper and annual letters to interested parties. They have also made emergency interconnections with two neighboring water supplies to supply an alternative source of water in the event of contamination. For all of this they were awarded “Hoosier Water Guardian with Distinction” at their May 2011 Annual Members Meeting in New Middletown. Keep up the good work!
