Government

Challenge: To gain an improved understanding of the quantity and quality of available water in Hamilton County and how best to provide safe and reliable water to the communities. 

Solution: Hamilton County, Indiana is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, but its growth depends on having an adequate, high-quality water supply. INTERA developed a database-driven data management system that integrates historical data with real-time sensor data from 50-60 groundwater wells. The system uses real-time sensors to collect data from the wells and deliver it to a web-based data dashboard. This serves as an entry point for the county, utilities, mining companies, and the general public to investigate water usage across the region. The system is helping to fill in the gaps in understanding of the aquifers in the county through real-time monitoring and is being supplemented by groundwater modeling and a feasibility evaluation of a potential infiltration system.

Results: The real-time monitoring data provides insight on how the timing of aquifer withdrawals and discharges, and seasonal precipitation affect the regional supply and how best to manage it. Analysis of the collected data is helping water users and the public learn how the aquifer system works and how to better work together to ensure that all will have an adequate water supply as population growth continues. 

Related Video: Sustainability for Water Utilities – Leveraging Technology for Resiliency

Challenge. Establish minimum flows and levels (MFLs) to identify the limit at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area.

Solution. The MFL development process is multi-faceted and involves data collection and exploratory data analysis, statistical and/or hydrologic modeling, and evaluation of water resource values and ecological parameters. In support of the MFL programs of four Florida water management districts (Southwest Florida Water Management District [SWFWMD], St. Johns River Water Management District [SJRWMD], Suwanee River Water Management District [SRWMD], and Northwest Florida Water Management District [NWFWMD]), INTERA has helped establish MFLs for dozens of priority waterbodies that include rivers, estuaries, lakes, and springs. The focus of our MFL support has been on applying both analytical methods (statistical) and numerical models. Our MFL experience includes: modeling un-gauged flows for the Alafia River Watershed, Little Manatee River Watershed, and Cow Pen Slough; developing HEC-RAS steady-state and transient models to assist the SRWMD in establishing MFLs for the Suwannee River system and its tributaries (i.e., Santa Fe River, Ichetucknee River, Withlacoochee River, Alapaha River); HEC-RAS modeling for Horse Creek, Charlie Creek, Alafia River North and South Prongs, and Gum Springs for the SWFWMD; statistical analyses to support MFLs as part of the Central Florida Water Initiative; development and application of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to evaluate salinity in the Manatee River; and development of hydrologic relationships for key ecological features on the Santa Fe River. Because of our MFL expertise, INTERA has also provided independent peer review of scientific and technical data, methodologies, assumptions, and conclusions related to MFLs developed by other consultants. This includes review of MFLs for over a dozen waterbodies such as Blue Springs, the Silver River, the Upper Ocklawaha River, Lake Tarhoe, Prevatt Lake, Johns Lake, Lake Jessup, Lake Hiawassee, Lake Avalon, Sylvan Lake, the Lower Santa Fe River and the Etonia chain of lakes.