Kentucky Division of Water Annual Report Available Online

On By KYDEPIn Division of Water

The Kentucky Division of Water is pleased to announce the release of its 2014 Annual Report. This annual report includes highlights and accomplishments for the following branches within the division:

  • Compliance and Technical Assistance Branch
  • Resource Planning and Program Support Branch
  • Surface Water Permits Branch
  • Water Infrastructure Branch
  • Watershed Management Branch
  • Water Quality Branch

The division continues to implement its core responsibilities to (1) protect, manage and restore water resources; (2) conduct effective water resources planning; (3) meet federal and state program requirements; and (4) promote better management and communication of data.

Highlights from 2014 include:

  • The division began revising three existing state drinking water regulations in February 2014.
  • One hundred eighteen dams now have Emergency Action Plans (EAPs).  The division continues developing EAPs for those high hazard dams lacking such plans.
  • A new state wastewater laboratory certification program became effective September 2013.
  • In cooperation with the Department for Natural Resources, the division conducted compliance evaluation inspections of coal facilities with regard to water quality of outfall effluent and receiving streams.
  • Field inspectors investigated a total of 1,600 water-related citizen complaints.  The division conducted 4,493 inspections in the areas of wastewater, storm water, drinking water, oil and gas, animal feeding operations, and coal.
  • The division has developed the Kentucky Nutrient Reduction Strategy to identify sources of nutrients in Kentucky, methods of addressing nutrients, and source-specific strategies for nutrient reduction in priority watersheds.
  • The division worked to issue six general permits this year, including permits for abandoned mine lands, aviation facilities, concrete and asphalt products and paving facilities, non-coal mineral mining and processing, and coal mining and processing in the eastern and western Kentucky coal fields.

The 2014 report and all previous annual reports are available at http://water.ky.gov/Pages/AnnualReports.aspx.