Frequently Asked Questions - Water Quality
"Does the County perform any water quality monitoring of streams, rivers, or waterbodies?"
Yes, as part of the County’s NPDES permit, the County collects nutrient, bacterial, and physical data at strategically selected and approved locations throughout the County’s watersheds.
"Where does the County’s water supply come from? "
The County consists of 8 water service areas, 6 of these areas rely solely on groundwater wells for community water supply, whereas the Westminster and Freedom areas rely on a mix of groundwater and surface water from the Liberty and Cranberry Reservoirs. Additionally, the County has a groundwater monitoring network that includes over 75 observation wells to track aquifer levels and drought conditions.
"The Bureau of Resource Management has planted over 250 acres of trees in the last decade, what is the significance of these reforestations?"
Forested areas reduce flooding and flood damage, improve aquatic habitat and food supply, filter contaminants or pollutants, moderate water temperatures and provide terrestrial habitat.
"In addition to sampling surface water for pollutants, does the County perform biological sampling of our streams?"
Yes, what’s living in a stream is a good indicator of how healthy the stream is. The County performs spring biological sampling of macro-invertebrates, which assists in tracking and documenting watershed health over time from watershed restoration projects.
"Does the County offer environmental volunteer opportunities?"
Yes, the Bureau of Resource Management coordinates multiple stream cleanup events annually, which are advertised on the Carroll Environment Facebook page.