Annual water conditions report now available
WEST CHESTER » Chester County Water Resources Authority’s Annual Water Conditions Report, looking back the full year 2020, is now available. The report presents a snapshot of the county’s water resources and highlights long-term water quality trends from the last 20 years.
Maintaining the quality of water was noted as the top priority for Chester County residents, according to the county’s most recent citizen survey. The authority welcomes feedback about improving Chester County’s water resources, its water-based recreation, and stormwater concerns through surveys.
Notable findings for Chester County’s 2020 Annual Water Status Report include total precipitation that was eight inches above the County’s historic average. Tropical Storm Isaias brought the greatest amount of rain in August of 2020, but uncertainty in future local rainfall indicated by elevated precipitation levels in 2018 and 2019, suggests a need for adaptive stormwater and floodplain management.
Tropical Storm Isaias also brought a significant increase in stream flows. Stream flow is intricately linked to water quality. Overall, stream flows for more than 2,300 Chester County streams stayed within a normal range for most of the year.
The 2020 Water Conditions Report summarizes precipitation, stream flow, water chemistry, biological, and water supply data collected at monitoring stations throughout Chester County. Data for the Report is collected through the Chester County and U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Water Resources Program.
The Chester County Water Resources Authority was created by the Chester County Board of Commissioners more than 60 years ago, and since then, the authority has provided flood protection and water supply resources in the Brandywine Creek Watershed along with water resource management, science, information, and planning.
The full Chester County 2020 Water Conditions Report can be found at https://www.chesco. org/DocumentCenter/ View/65502/2020Annu alWaterStatusReport_ Final_12302021?bidId=.