Wellhead Protection Areas in Kentucky

Field investigations and various modeling programs have been used to determine the wellhead protection areas throughout Kentucky. Systems using wells will have a WHPA-1, which represents a 400' minimum radius around the well or a 6-month time of travel for groundwater to the source. WHPA-2 generally represents a 10-year time of travel or the hydrologic boundary if there was not sufficient information to model the protection area. WHPA-3 will generally be the hydrologic boundary. Water suppliers using abandoned underground mine works will have the entire mined out area delineated as a WHPA-1. Systems that are using a spring or a well in karst areas will have the entire basin delineated as WHPA-1. This is due to the highly sensitive nature of the entire recharge area for these types of aquifers. Systems that use wells may have delineations that change if new wells are added or old wells are abandoned. Different modeling programs have been used to establish wellhead protection areas. These areas may change if a system decides to change the way they have modeled the aquifer being used. Wellhead Protection Areas delineated through various means by Kentucky Division of Water, Kentucky Rural Water Association and Private Consultants. Download spatial layer on Box.本研究通过野外实地调查与多种建模程序，完成了肯塔基州全域水源保护区（Wellhead Protection Area，简称WHPA）的划定工作。采用水井取水的供水系统将划定WHPA-1，其范围为水井周边至少400英尺的区域，或是地下水运移至取水点的最短时长为6个月的区域。WHPA-2通常对应地下水运移时长达10年的范围，若缺乏足够信息开展保护区建模，则以水文边界作为其划定依据。WHPA-3一般以水文边界作为划定标准。以废弃地下矿山工程作为取水来源的供水系统，需将整个采空区划定为WHPA-1。针对喀斯特地区的泉水或水井取水的供水系统，需将整个流域划定为WHPA-1，这是由于此类含水层（aquifers）的补给区整体具备高度敏感的水文特性。采用水井取水的供水系统，若新增水井或废弃原有水井，其划定的水源保护区范围可能发生变更。不同建模程序所划定的水源保护区范围存在差异，若供水系统变更其所用含水层的建模方式，保护区范围也可能随之调整。本次水源保护区的划定工作由肯塔基州水务局（Kentucky Division of Water）、肯塔基农村水协会（Kentucky Rural Water Association）及私人咨询机构通过多种方式共同完成。用户可在Box平台下载该空间图层数据。