100,000 Gallon Plus Water Users Should Register with State Soon

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Facilities located in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin that have the capability to withdraw 100,000 gallons per day need to register with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources before Dec. 8, 2008, according to Indiana Farm Bureau.

Facilities can register after that, but they could be subject to the full requirements of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, an agreement between the American states and Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes to limit diversions of water from the basin. The compact, which takes effect on Dec. 8, was recently ratified by Congress and signed by President Bush. 

The following Indiana counties are within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, DeKalb, Allen, Wells and Adams.

One requirement of the compact is that each state and province must establish baseline water withdrawals and usage from the Great Lakes Basin. The baseline withdrawals will be used to exempt existing uses from new permitting requirements of the compact.

Indiana is relying upon the withdrawal registration program that is administered by the Indiana DNR to establish baseline usage. Currently, any facility with the capability (not actual usage) to withdraw 100,000 gallons per day is required to register with the state. If you have already registered or register by Dec. 8, your withdrawal will be grandfathered under the compact. For information on the registration program and to register, visit www.in.gov/dnr/water/8538.htm.