United StatesEnvironmental ProtectionAgency

EPA 440/6-90-004April 1990

Office Of Water (4602)

Citizen’s Guide ToGround-WaterProtection

ACKNOWLEDMENTSThis document was prepared under the direction of Marian Mlay, Director of the Office of Ground-Water Protection (OGWP) and written by OGWP Project Manager Jan Gallagher.

Citizen’s Guide ToGround-Water Protection

Office of Ground-Water ProtectionOffice of Water

U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyApril 1990

CONTENTSPage

PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

CHAPTER I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

What is Ground Water, and Where Does It Come From? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Where is Ground Water Stored? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Does Ground Water Move? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2How is Ground Water Used? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

CHAPTER II. Ground-Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3How Does Ground Water Become Contaminated? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .What Kinds of Substances Can Contaminate Ground Water,

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and Where Do They Come From? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4What Can Be Done After Contamination Has Occurred? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

CHAPTER III. Government Ground-Water Protection Activities . . . . . . 8Are There Federal Laws and Programs to Protect Ground Water? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Do the States Have Laws or Programs to Protect Ground Water? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

CHAPTER IV. Citizen and Community Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11What Information Do You and Your Community Need? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11What Can Your Community Do to Protect Its Ground Water? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13How Can You Clean Up Your Own Act? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

APPENDICESNew Information for the 1999 Reprinted Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Appendix 1. Potentially Harmful Components of Common Household Products . . . . . 28

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PREFACEHalf of all Americans and more than 95percent of rural Americans get their house-hold water supplies from undergroundsources of water, or ground water. Groundwater also is used for about half of thenation’s agricultural irrigation and nearlyone-third of the industrial water needs.This makes ground water a vitallyimportant national resource.Over the last 10 years, however, publicattention has been drawn to incidents ofground-water contamination. This has ledto the development of ground-waterprotection programs at federal, state, andlocal levels. Because ground-water suppliesand conditions vary from one area toanother, the responsibility for protecting acommunity’s ground-water supplies restssubstantially with the local community.If your community relies on ground waterto supply any portion of its fresh waterneeds, you, the citizen, will be directlyaffected by the success or failure of aground-water protection program. Equallyimportant, you, the citizen, can directlyaffect the success or failure of yourcommunity’s ground-water protectionefforts.This guide is intended to help you take anactive and positive role in protecting yourcommunity’s ground-water supplies. It willintroduce you to the natural cycle thatsupplies the earth with ground Water,briefly explain how ground water canbecome contaminated, examine ways toprotect our vulnerable ground-watersupplies, and, most important of all,describe the roles you and your commu-nity can play in protecting valuableground-water supplies.

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CHAPTER I. IntroductionMany people have never heard of groundwater. That’s not really so surprising since itisn’t readily visible-ground water can beconsidered one of our “hidden” resources.

What Is Ground Water, andWhere Does It Come From?Actually, ground water occurs as part ofwhat can be called the oldest recyclingprogram-the hydrologic cycle. The

hydrologic cycle involves the continualmovement of water between the earth andthe atmosphere through evaporation andprecipitation. As rain and snow fall to theearth, some of the water runs off thesurface into lakes, rivers, streams, and theoceans; some evaporates; and some isabsorbed by plant roots. The rest of thewater soaks through the ground’s surfaceand moves downward through the unsatu-rated zone, where the open spaces in rocksand soil are filled with a mixture of air andwater, until it reaches the water table. Thewater table is the top of the saturated zone,or the area in which all interconnectedspaces in rocks and soil are filled withwater. The water in the saturated zone iscalled ground water, In areas where thewater table occurs at the ground’s surface,the ground water discharges into marshes,lakes, springs, or streams and evaporates intothe atmosphere to form clouds, eventuallyfalling back to earth again as rain or snow-thus beginning the cycle all over again.

Where Is Ground Water Stored?Ground water is stored under many typesof geologic conditions. Areas whereground water exists in sufficient quantitiesto supply wells or springs are calledaquifers, a term that literally means “waterbearer.” Aquifers store water in the spacesbetween particles of sand, gravel, soil, androck as well as cracks, pores, and channelsin relatively solid rocks. An aquifer’sstorage capacity is controlled largely by itsporosity, or the relative amount of openspace present to hold water. Its ability totransmit water, or permeability, is based inpart on the size of these spaces and theextent to which they are connected.Basically, there are two kinds of aquifers:confined and unconfined. If the aquifer issandwiched between layers of relativelyimpermeable materials (e.g., clay), it iscalled a confined aquifer Confined aquifersare frequently found at greater depths than

unconfined aquifers. In contrast, unconfinedaquifers are not sandwiched between theselayers of relatively impermeable materials,and their upper boundaries are generallycloser to the surface of the land.

Does Ground Water Move?Ground water can move sideways as well asup or down. This movement is in responseto gravity, differences in elevation, anddifferences in pressure. The movement isusually quite slow, frequently as little as afew feet per year although it can move asmuch as several feet per day in more per-meable zones. Ground water can move evenmore rapidly in karst aquifers, which areareas in water soluble limestone and similarrocks where fractures or cracks have beenwidened by the action of the ground waterto form sinkholes, tunnels, or even caves.

How Is Ground Water Used?According to the U.S. Geological Survey,ground-water use increased from about 35billion gallons a day in 1950 to about 87billion gallons a day in 1980. Approximatelyone-fourth of all fresh water used in thenation comes from ground water. Whetherit arrives via a public water supply systemor directly from a private well, groundwater ultimately provides approximately 35percent of the drinking water supply forurban areas and 95 percent of the supplyfor rural areas, quenching the thirst andmeeting other household needs of morethan 117 million people in this nation.Overall, more than one-third of the waterused for agricultural purposes is drawnfrom ground water Arkansas, Nebraska,Colorado, and Kansas use more than 90percent of their ground-water withdrawalsfor agricultural activities. In addition,approximately 30 percent of all groundwater is used for industrial purposes.Ground-water use varies among the states,with some states, such as Hawaii, Mississippi,

Florida, Idaho, and New Mexico, relying onground water to supply considerably morethan three-fourths of their household waterneeds and other states, such as Coloradoand Rhode Island, supplying less thanone-quarter of their water needs withground water.

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CHAPTER II.Ground-Water QualityUntil the 1970s, ground water was believedto be naturally protected from contamina-tion. The layers of soil and particles ofsand, gravel, crushed rocks, and largerrocks were thought to act as filters, trapping contaminants before they could reachthe ground water. Since then, however,every state in the nation has reported casesof contaminated ground water, with someinstances receiving widespread publicity.We now know that some contaminants canpass through all of these filtering layersinto the saturated zone to contaminateground waterBetween 1971 and 1985, 245 ground-water-related disease outbreaks, with 52,181associated illnesses, were reported. Most ofthese diseases were short-term digestivedisorders. About 10 percent of all ground-water public water supply systems are inviolation of drinking water standards forbiological contamination. In addition,approximately 74 pesticides, a number ofwhich are known carcinogens, have beendetected in the ground water of 38 states.Although various estimates have beenmade about the extent of ground-water

contamination, these estimates are difficultto verify given the nature of the resourceand the difficulty of monitoring its quality.

How Does Ground WaterBecome Contaminated?Ground-water contamination can originateon the surface of the ground, in the groundabove the water table, or in the groundbelow the water table. Table 1 shows thetypes of activities that can cause ground-water contamination at each level. Where acontaminant originates is a factor that canaffect its actual impact on ground-waterquality For example, if a contaminant isspilled on the surface of the ground orinjected into the ground above the watertable, it may have to move through numer-ous layers of soil and other underlyingmaterials before it reaches the ground waterAs the contaminant moves through theselayers, a number of processes are in opera-tion (e.g., filtration, dilution, oxidation, bio-logical decay) that can lessen the eventualimpact of the substance once it finallyreaches the ground water. The effectivenessof these processes also is affected by both

TABLE 1. Activities That Can Cause Ground-Water Contamination 3

the distance between the ground water andwhere the contaminant is introduced andthe amount of time it takes the substance toreach the ground water. If the contaminantis introduced directly into the area belowthe water table, the primary process thatcan affect the impact of the contaminant isdilution by the surrounding ground waterIn comparison with rivers or streams,ground water tends to move very slowlyand with very little turbulence. Therefore,once the contaminant reaches the groundwater, little dilution or dispersion normallyoccurs. Instead, the contaminant forms aconcentrated plume that can flow alongthe same path as the ground water. Amongthe factors that determine the size, form,and rate of movement of the contaminantplume are the amount and type of contami-nant and the speed of ground-water move-ment. Because ground water is hidden fromview, contamination can go undetected foryears until the supply is tapped for use.

What Kinds of Substances CanContaminate Ground Water, andWhere Do They Come From?Substances that can contaminate groundwater can be divided into two basic cate-gories: substances that occur naturally andsubstances produced or introduced byman’s activities. Substances that occur natu-rally include minerals such as iron,calcium, and selenium. Substances result-ing from man’s activities include syntheticorganic chemicals and hydrocarbons (e.g.,solvents, pesticides, petroleum products);landfill leachates (liquids that have drippedthrough the landfill and carry dissolvedsubstances from the waste materials),containing such substances as heavy metalsand organic decomposition products; salt;bacteria; and viruses. A significant numberof today’s ground-water contaminationproblems stem from man’s activities andcan be introduced into ground water froma variety of sources.

Septic Tanks, Cesspools, and PriviesA major cause of ground-water contamina-tion in many areas of the United States iseffluent, or outflow, from septic tanks,cesspools, and privies. Approximately one-fourth of all homes in the United Statesrely on septic systems to dispose of theirhuman wastes. If these systems are improp-erly sited, designed, constructed, or main-tained, they can allow contamination of theground water by bacteria, nitrates, viruses,synthetic detergents, household chemicals,and chlorides. Although each system canmake an insignificant contribution toground water contamination, the sheernumber of such systems and their widespread use in every area that does not havea public sewage treatment system makesthem serious contamination sources.

Surface ImpoundmentsAnother potentially significant source ofground-water contamination is the morethan 180,000 surface impoundments (e.g.,ponds, lagoons) used by municipalities,industries, and businesses to store, treat,and dispose of a variety of liquid wastesand wastewater Although these impound-ments are supposed to be sealed withcompacted clay soils or plastic liners, leakscan and do develop.

Agricultural ActivitiesAgricultural activities also can make signifi-cant contributions to ground-water con-tamination with the millions of tons offertilizers and pesticides spread on theground and from the storage and disposalof livestock wastes. Homeowners, too, cancontribute to this type of ground-water pol-lution with the chemicals they apply totheir lawns, rosebushes, tomato plants, andother garden plants.

LandfillsThere are approximately 500 hazardouswaste land disposal facilities and more than

16,000 municipal and other landfills nation-wide. To protect ground water, these facili-ties are now required to be constructedwith clay or synthetic liners and leachatecollection systems. Unfortunately theserequirements are comparatively recent, andthousands of landfills were built, operated,and abandoned in the past without suchsafeguards. A number of these sites havecaused serious ground-water contamina-

tion problems and are now being cleanedup by their owners, operators, or users;state governments; or the federal govern-ment under the Superfund program (seep. 8). In addition, a lack of informationabout the location of many of these sitesmakes it difficult, if not impossible, todetermine how many others may now becontaminating ground water.

Underground Storage TanksBetween five and six million undergroundstorage tanks are used to store a variety ofmaterials, including gasoline, fuel oil, andnumerous chemicals. The average life spanof these tanks is 18 years, and over time,exposure to the elements causes them tocorrode. Now, hundreds of thousands ofthese tanks are estimated to be leaking, andmany are contaminating ground water.Replacement costs for these tanks are esti-mated at $1 per gallon of storage capacity;a cleanup operation can cost considerablymore.

Abandoned WellsWells can be another source of ground-water contamination. In the years beforethere were community water supply sys-terns, most people relied on wells to provide their drinking water. In rural areas thiscan still be the case. If a well is abandonedwithout being properly sealed, however itcan act as a direct channel for contami-nants to reach ground water.

Accidents and Illegal DumpingAccidents also canresult in ground-watercontamination. A large volume of toxicmaterials is transported throughout thecountry by truck, train, and airplane. Everyday, accidental chemical or petroleumproduct spills occur that, if not handledproperly, can result in ground-water con-tamination. Frequently, the automatic reac-tion of the first people at the scene of anaccident involving a spill will be to flush

the area with water to dilute the chemical.This just washes the chemical into the soilaround the accident site, allowing it towork its way down to the ground water. Inaddition, there are numerous instances ofground-water contamination caused by theillegal dumping of hazardous or otherpotentially harmful wastes.

Highway De-icingA similar flushing mechanism also appliesto the salt that is used to de-ice roads andhighways throughout the country everywinter More than 11 million tons of salt areapplied to roads in the United States annu-ally, As ice and snow melt or rain subse-quently falls, the salt is washed into thesurrounding soil where it can work its waydown to the ground water. Salt also canfind its way into ground water fromimproperly protected storage stockpiles.

What Can Be Done AfterContamination Has Occurred?Unlike rivers, lakes, and streams that arereadily visible and whose contaminationfrequently can be seen with the naked eye,ground water itself is hidden from view Itscontamination occurs gradually and gener-ally is not detected until the problem hasalready become extensive. This makescleaning up contamination a complicated,costly, and sometimes impossible process.In general, a community whose ground-water supply has been contaminated hasfive options:

Contain the contaminants to preventtheir migration from their source.

Withdraw the pollutants from theaquifer.

Treat the ground water where it iswithdrawn or at its point of use.

Rehabilitate the aquifer by eitherimmobilizing or detoxifying the contami-nants while they are still in the aquifer.

Abandon the use of the aquifer andfind alternative sources of waterWhich option is chosen by the communityis determined by a number of factors,including the nature and extensiveness ofthe contamination, whether specificactions are required by statute, the geologicconditions, and the funds available for thepurpose. All of these options are costly. Forexample, a community in Massachusettschose a treatment option when the wellssupplying its public water system were con-taminated by more than 2,000 gallons ofgasoline that had leaked into the groundfrom an underground storage tank lessthan 600 feet from one of the wells. Thetown temporarily provided alternativewater supplies for its residents and thenbegan a cleanup process that includedpumping out and treating the contami-nated water and then recharging the aqui-fer with the treated water. The cleanupeffort alone cost more than $3 million.Because of the high costs and technicaldifficulties involved in the various contain-ment and treatment methods, many com-munities will choose to abandon the use ofthe aquifer when facing contamination oftheir ground-water supplies. This requiresthe community to either find other watersupplies, drill new wells farther away fromthe contaminated area of the aquifer,deepen existing wells, or drill new wells inanother aquifer if one is located nearby. AsAtlantic City, New Jersey, found, theseoptions also can be very costly for acommunity The wells supplying that city’spublic water system were contaminated byleachate from a landfill. The city estimatedthat development of a new wellfield wouldcost approximately $2 million.

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CHAPTER III.Government Ground-WaterProtection ActivitiesGiven the importance of ground water as asource of drinking water for so manycommunities and individuals and the costand difficulty of cleaning it up, commonsense tells us that the best way to guaranteecontinued supplies of clean ground wateris to prevent contamination.

Are There Federal Lawsor Programs to ProtectGround Water?The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) is responsible for federal activitiesrelating to the quality of ground water.EPA’s ground-water protection activities areauthorized by a number of laws, including:

The Safe Drinking Water Act, whichauthorizes EPA to set standards for maxi-mum levels of contaminants in drinkingwater, regulate the underground disposal

of wastes in deep wells, designate areas thatrely on a single aquifer for their watersupply, and establish a nationwide programto encourage the states to develop pro-grams to protect public water supply wells(i.e., wellhead protection programs).

The Resource Conservation andRecovery Act, which regulates the storage,transportation, treatment, and disposal ofsolid and hazardous wastes to prevent con-taminants from leaching into ground waterfrom municipal landfills, undergroundstorage tanks, surface impoundments, andhazardous waste disposal facilities. The Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability Act(Superfund), which authorizes thement to clean up contaminationchemical spills or hazardous wascould (or already do) pose threatsenvironment, and whose 1986include provisions authorizing citizens tosue violators of the law and establishing“community right-to-know” programs(Title III).

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,and Rodenticide Act, which authorizes EPAto control the availability of pesticides thathave the ability to leach into ground water.

The Toxic Substances Control Act,which authorizes EPA to control the manu-facture, use, storage, distribution, or disposalof toxic chemicals that have the potential toleach into ground water.

The Clean Water Act, which authorizesEPA to make grants to the states for thedevelopment of ground-water protectionstrategies and authorizes a number of pro-grams to prevent water pollution from avariety of potential sources.The federal laws tend to focus on controllingpotential sources of ground-water contami-nation on a national basis. Where federallaws have provided for general ground-water protection activities such as wellhead

protection programs or development ofstate ground-water protection strategies,the actual implementation of these programs must be by the states in cooperationwith local governments.A major reason for this emphasis on localaction is that protection of ground watergenerally involves making very specificdecisions about how land is used. Localgovernments frequently exercise a varietyof land-use controls under state laws.

Do the States Have Lawsor Programs to ProtectGround Water?According to a study conducted for EPA in1988, most of the states have passed sometype of ground-water protection legislationand developed some kind of ground-waterpolicies. State ground-water legislation canbe divided into the following subjectcategories:

Statewide strategies - Requiring thedevelopment of a comprehensive plan toprotect the state’s ground-water resourcesfrom contamination. Ground-water classification - Identify-

ing and categorizing ground-water sourcesby how they are used to determine howmuch protection is needed to continuethat type of use.

Standard setting - Identifying levels atwhich an aquifer is considered to becontaminated. Land-use management - Developing

planning and regulatory mechanisms tocontrol activities on the land that couldcontaminate an aquifer. Ground-water funds - Establishing

specific financial accounts for use in theprotection of ground-water quality and theprovision of compensation for damages tounderground drinking water supplies (e.g.,reimbursement for ground-water cleanup,

provision of alternative drinking watersupplies). Agricultural chemicals - Regulating

the use, sale, labeling, and disposal of pesti-cides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Underground storage tanks - Estab-

lishing criteria for the registration, con-struction, installation, monitoring, repair,closure, and financial responsibility associ-ated with tanks used to store hazardouswastes or materials. Water-use management - Including

ground-water quality protection in thecriteria used to justify more stringent waterallocation measures where excessive ground-water withdrawal could cause ground-watercontamination.Appendix 1 presents a matrix showing thetypes of ground-water protection legisla-tion enacted by the states.In addition to ground-water protectionprograms states may have developed undertheir own laws, one state ground-water pro-tection program is required by federal law.The 1986 amendments to the Safe Drink-ing Water Act established the wellheadprotection program and require each stateto develop comprehensive programs toprotect public water supply wells from con-taminants that could be harmful to humanhealth. Wellhead protection is simply pro-tection of all or part of the area surround-ing a well from which the well’s groundwater is drawn. This is called a wellheadprotection area (WHPA). The size of theWHPA will vary from site to site dependingon a number of factors, including the goalsof the state’s program and the geologicfeatures of the area.The law specifies certain minimum components for the wellhead protection programs:

The roles and duties of state and localgovernments and public water suppliers inthe management of wellhead protectionprograms must be established.

The WHPA for each wellhead must bedelineated (i.e., outlined or defined).

Contamination sources within eachWHPA must be identified.

Approaches for protecting the watersupply within the WHPAs from the contami-nation sources (e.g., use of source controls,education, training) must be developed.

Contingency plans must be developedfor use if public water supplies becomecontaminated.

Provisions must be established forproper siting of new wells to produce max-imum water yield and reduce the potentialfor contamination as much as possible.

Provisions must be included to ensurepublic participation in the process.For a program to be successful, all levels ofgovernment must participate in the well-head protection program. The federalgovernment is responsible for approvingstate wellhead protection programs and for

providing technical support to state andlocal governments. State governments mustdevelop and implement wellhead protec-tion programs that meet the requirementsof the Safe Drinking Water Act. Althoughthe responsibilities of local governmentsdepend on the specific requirements oftheir state’s program, these governmentsoften are in the best position (and have thegreatest incentive) to ensure proper protec-tion of wellhead areas. They have the mostto lose if their ground water becomescontaminated.

Although the Clean Water Act does notrequire states to develop ground-water pro-tection strategies, the legislation does auth-orize states to take this action. As of 1989,all 50 states have at least begun to developground-water protection strategies, andsome of these are in advanced stages. Pro-ceeding at varying paces, the states are tailor-ing their efforts to fit their own perceivedneeds and budgets.

CHAPTER IV.Citizen and Community RolesIn the first three chapters of this guide, youlearned how dependent our nation is onground water to provide water for drink-ing and other household uses, agriculture,and industry You also learned a little aboutthe many substances that can contaminateour ground-water supplies, where they cancome from, and how difficult and costly itis to try to clean up ground water once ithas been contaminated. Finally, you weregiven some information about currentnational and state programs to protectground water. This chapter will focus onwhat actions you and your community cantake to protect your ground-water supplies.

What Information Do You andYour Community Need?Because no two communities are exactlyalike in terms of hydrogeologic conditions,resources, or problems, ground-water pro-tection efforts should be tailored specificallyto meet the needs of each community.Thus, before you can begin to help yourcommunity develop an effective programto manage its ground-water resources, youwill need the answers to some very specificquestions.

What Has Your State Done to ProtectGround Water?As you saw in Chapter III, the Safe DrinkingWater Act requires all states to developprograms to protect public water supplywells from contaminants that could beharmful to human health. Information onyour state’s wellhead protection programshould be available from the agency inyour state that is managing this program.(Appendix 2 contains a list of the stateagencies managing wellhead protectionprograms.) Chapter III also mentioned thatall 50 states are in the process ofdeveloping comprehensive ground-waterprotection strategies. Such a strategy canprovide you with information on who haswhat ground-water responsibility in thestate and on how any existing stateprograms fit together A copy of yourstate’s ground-water protection strategyshould be available from the agency inyour state that is managing this effort(Appendix 2 also contains a list of thesestate agencies.)

Does Your Community’s DrinkingWater Come from Ground Water,and What Information Is AvailableAbout Your Community’s Wells?

If your community’s drinking water comesfrom ground water, you will need somebasic information about your community’shydrogeologic setting, including the types

of soil conditions and geologic formationsand the type, location, and depth of theaquifer that stores the ground water Inaddition, information on the community’swells will be needed, including whetherthey are public or private, shallow or deep;their locations; and how they are con-

structed. It also could be important toknow if sites have been identified forfuture wells. Potential sources for thisinformation include your local library yourlocal water supply agency, your stategeological survey, a local office of the U.S.Geological Survey (USGS), a countyagricultural extension agent, or even thegeology or engineering department of alocal university or college.

What Is the Current Quality ofYour Ground-Water Supply, andWhat Actual or Potential Sourcesof Contamination Are Present inYour Community?You will need to know if your water iscurrently free from bacterial and chemicalpollution and what kinds of proceduresare in place to test or monitor ground-water quality. Initial information on thequality of your community’s ground watershould be available from your local watersupply agency or your local healthdepartment.closely related to the issue of ground-waterquality is determining whether there areactivities in the community that produce oruse toxic or hazardous substances andwhere underground storage tanks arelocated. Information on activities using orproducing toxic or hazardous materialsmay be more difficult to obtain, but thecommunity right-to-know provisions in the1986 Superfund amendments may give youa starting point These provisions requirethe establishment of state planningcommissions, emergency planning districts,and local emergency planning committees.They also require companies that usecertain toxic or hazardous substances toreport to these committees. Companiesalso are required to report serious environmental releases immediately All of thisinformation is required to be available tothe public.Another source of information on envi-ronmental releases is available in a data

base developed by EPA called the ToxicChemical Release Inventory that is publiclyaccessible through the National Library ofMedicine. The data include the names,addresses, and public contacts of plantsmanufacturing, processing, or using thereported chemicals; the maximum amountstored onsite; the estimated quantityemitted into the air, discharged into bodiesof water, injected underground, or releasedto land, methods used in waste treatmentand their efficiency, and information onthe transfer of chemicals offsite for treat-ment and disposal. (To obtain additionalinformation on this data base, see Appen-dix 2.) On a local level, your community’sfire department also may be helpful inproviding information on both companiesusing toxic or hazardous materials and thelocation of underground storage tanks.

What Can Your Community Doto Protect Its Ground Water?If your community relies on ground waterfor its water supplies, it has a strong incen-ive to protect that ground water Before aplan or program can be developed to pro-tect ground water, it is important to identifyexisting or potential threats to the groundwater. This will generally mean conductingan inventory to learn the location of facili-ties using, manufacturing, or storingmaterials that have the potential to polluteground water.How your community conducts this inven-tory will depend largely on the resourcesavailable, particularly the number of peopleavailable to do the work and funds. A num-ber of communities, however, have had greatsuccess in using groups of volunteers toconduct their inventories. For example, thecity of El Paso, Texas, has mobilized itssenior citizens with the help of the federallyfunded Retired Senior Volunteer Program(RSVP) and the Texas Water Commission.

The inventory of existing or potentialthreats to the community’s ground watermay be quite long, and it is unlikely that

your community will have the resources toaddress all of these threats. How do com-munity officials decide which threats arethe most serious or set priorities? One wayis to assess these threats on the basis oftheir relative risks to the community’sground water This requires determiningwhich of the specific pollutants are most

likely to be released and reach the groundwater in concentrations high enough topose health risks.In addition to having an incentive to protectits ground water, your community has anumber of powers that can be used for thatpurpose. These include implementing zon-ing decisions; developing land-use plans;overseeing building and fire codes; imple-menting health requirements; supplyingwater, sewer, and waste disposal services;and using their police powers to enforceregulations and ordinances. A few commu-nities have begun developing their ownground-water protection programs using avariety of management tools based onthese powers.These management tools include:

Zoning Ordinances - To divide amunicipality into land-use districts andseparate incompatible land uses such asresidential, commercial, and industrial;zoning also defines the type of activity thatcan occur within a district and specifiesappropriate regulations that can be used toprevent activities that could be harmful tothe community’s ground water. Subdivision Ordinances - Applied

when a piece of land is actually beingdivided into lots for sale or development toensure that growth does not outpaceavailable local facilities such as roads,schools, and fire protection; subdivisionordinances also can be used to set densitystandards, require open space set asides,and regulate the timing of development, allof which can have significant impacts onground-water quality.

Site Plan Review - To determine if aproposed development project is compatiblewith existing land uses in the surroundingarea and if existing community facilities willbe able to support the planned develop-ment; this review also can be used to deter-mine compatibility of the proposed projectwith any ground-water protection goals.

Design Standards - To regulate the

design, construction, and ongoing opera-tion of various land-use activities by impos-ing specific physical requirements, such asthe use of double-walled tanks to storechemicals underground.

Operating Standards - To ensure thesafety of workers, other parties, and theenvironment by specifying how an activityis to be conducted, these can take the form

of best management practices (BMPs) thatdefine a set of standard operating proce-dures for use in a particular activity to limitthe threat to the environment (e.g., limitson pesticide applications or animal feedlotoperations).

Source Prohibitions - To prohibit thestorage or use of dangerous materials in adefined area; these can take the form of

prohibitions of certain activities or ofrestrictions on the use of certain materials.

Purchase of Property or DevelopmentRights - To guarantee community controlover the activities on lands that feed waterinto an aquifer, this may involve outrightpurchase of the land or of a more limitedinterest, such as surface-use rights.

Public Education - To build commu-nity support for regulatory programs, suchas controls on pollution sources in specialzoning districts, and to motivate voluntaryground-water protection efforts, such aswater conservation or household hazard-ous waste management. Ground-Water Monitoring - To assess

the quality of local aquifers by samplingpublic and private wells for selectedcontaminants.

Household Hazardous WasteCollection - To alleviate the threat toground water from the disposal in regular

trash pick ups, sewers, or septic systems ofhousehold products that contain hazardoussubstances or other materials that can beharmful to ground water, such as paints,solvents, or pesticides.

Water Conservation - To reduce thetotal quantity of water withdrawn fromground-water aquifers and to protectagainst contamination by reducing therate at which contaminants can spread inthe aquifer (e.g., excessive withdrawalsfrom an aquifer located near the oceancan draw salt water into the aquifer andcontaminate wells).

How Can You Clean UpYour Own Act?So far, the emphasis has been on how youcan help your community to protect itsground water through the development ofcommunity-wide policies and programs.But ground-water protection also begins athome. How do your personal habits affectyour community’s ground-water quality?What can you, as an individual, do toprotect your community’s ground water?

How Do You Dispose of the PollutingMaterials Used in Your Home?You may be surprised to learn that the wayyou dispose of products you use at homecan contribute to the contamination ofyour community’s ground water. You maybe even more surprised to learn that anumber of the products you use at homecontain hazardous or toxic substances. Thetruth is, however, that products like motoroil, pesticides, leftover paints or paint cans,mothballs, flea collars, weedkillers, house.hold cleaners, and even a number of medi-cines contain materials that can be harmfulto ground water and to the environment ingeneral. (See Appendix 3 for a list of thetypes of products commonly found aroundhomes and their potentially harmful com-ponents.) The average American disposesof approximately one pound of this type ofwaste each year So, although the amountof any of these substances that you pourdown your drain, put in your trash, ordump on the ground may seem insignifi-cant to you, try multiplying it by the num-ber of people in your community. Thatamount may not seem so insignificant

Don’t Pour It Down the Drain! Anything in the ground, these harmful substancesyou pour down your drain or flush down can eventually contaminate the groundyour toilet will enter your septic system or water. In addition, most community wasteyour community’s sewer system. Using this water treatment plants are not designed tomethod to dispose of products that contain treat many of these substances. Thus, theyharmful substances can affect your septic can eventually be discharged into bodies ofsystem’s ability to treat human wastes. Once surface water and cause contamination.

Don’t Put It in the Trash! Communitylandfills also generally are not equipped tohandle hazardous materials. As rain andsnow pass through the landfill, the watercan become contaminated by theseproducts and eventually carry them intothe ground water and surface waterDon’t Dump It on the Ground!Hazardous wastes that are dumped on orburied in the ground can contaminate thesoil and either leach down into the groundwater or be carried into a nearby body ofsurface water by runoff during rainstorms.Do Use and Dispose of Harmful MaterialsProperly! There are very few options fordisposing of hazardous products used inyour home, so the first step may be to limit

your use of such products. Whenever possi-ble, substitute a nonhazardous product.When that is not possible, buy only asmuch as you need. Larger quantities maybe less expensive, but they leave you withthe problem of disposing of them safely.Finally, urge community officials to spon-sor periodic household hazardous wastecollection days if they have not establishedthis policy By helping your community tocentralize collection of hazardous house-hold wastes for appropriate disposal, youwill be helping your community to make amajor contribution toward protecting itsground water The saying “Garbage in,garbage out” applies to more thancomputer data bases.

How Do You Take Care ofYour Septic System?

Your septic system is designed to have itseffluent discharge into a drainage fieldwhere it undergoes some decomposition bymicroorganisms in the soil as it works itsway down to the ground water. If yoursystem is not pumped out frequentlyenough, solid materials can leave the tankand enter the drainage field. Any substancespoured down your drains also will enterthat drainage field-and eventually theground waterTo prevent ground-water contaminationfrom your septic system:

Have your septic system inspectedannually and pumped out regularly nochemical or other additive can be a substi-tute for this, and these septic system chemi-cals actually can prevent your septic systemfrom functioning properly

Be cautious about what you put intoyour system; substances like coffeegrounds, cigarette butts, sanitary items, orfats do not break down easily in septic sys-tems, and chemicals like paints, solvents,oil, and pesticides will go from your septicsystem into the ground water.

Limit the amount of water enteringyour system by using water-saving fixturesand appliances.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

If you are a homeowner, you probably takea lot of pride in your home and the yardsurrounding it. You may apply fertilizers tomake your grass thick and green, your

flowers colorful, and your vegetable cropabundant You also may use pesticides tokeep bugs from ruining what the fertilizershave helped to produce. What you may notknow, however, is that many of these ferti-lizers and pesticides contain hazardouschemicals that can travel through the soiland contaminate ground water. If you feelyou must use these chemicals, use them inmoderation. This is not a case of “more isbetter.” Your county extension agent canprovide information on natural ways tocontrol lawn, garden, and tree pests thatcan reduce reliance on chemicals.

What Else Can You Do?

Get informed and get involved! Around thecountry, citizens are getting involved intheir communities, volunteering their timeand energy and making a difference. Ifyou think one person can’t change the sys-

tem, help form a group. You, alone or aspart of a group, can help to educate yourfamily, friends, and neighbors about theimportance of ground water to your com-munity, And, after you've cleaned up yourown act, you can help your communityclean up its act.

REFERENCES

Born, Stephen M., Douglas A. Yanggen, and Alexander Zaporozec. A Guide to Groundwater QualityPlanning and Management for Local Governments. Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey,Madison, WI, 1987.

Concern, Inc. Groundwater: A Community Action Guide. Washington, D.C., 1989.

Cross, Brad L. and Jack Schulze. City of Hurst (A Public Water Supply Protection Strategy). Texas WaterCommission, Austin, TX, 1989.

Curtis, Christopher and Teri Anderson. A Guidebook for Organizing a Community Collection Event:Household Hazardous Waste. Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and Western Massachusetts Coalitionfor Safe Waste Management, West Springfield, MA, 1984.

Curtis, Christopher, Christopher Walsh, and Michael Przybyla. The Road Salt Management Handbook:Introducing a Reliable Strategy to Safeguard People & Water Resources. Pioneer Valley PlanningCommission, West Springfield, MA, 1986.

Cordon, Wendy. A Citizen's Handbook on Groundwater Protection. Natural Resources Defense Council,New York, NY, 1984.

Harrison, Ellen Z. and Mary Ann Dickinson. Protecting Connecticut's Groundwater: A Guide toGroundwater Protection for Local Officials. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection,Hartford, CT, 1984.

Hrezo, Margaret and Pat Nickinson. Protecting Virginia's Groundwater: A Handbook for Local GovernmentOfficials. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 1986.

Jaffe, Martin and Frank Dinovo. Local Groundwater Protection. American Planning Association, Chicago,IL, 1987.

Loomis, George and Yael Calhoon. “Natural Resource Facts: Maintaining Your Septic System.”University of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, 1988.

Maine Association of Conservation Commissions. Ground Water. . . Maine's Hidden Resource. Hallowell,ME, 1985.

Massachusetts Audubon Society. “Groundwater and Contamination: From the Watershed into the Well.”Groundwater Information Flyer #2. Lincoln, MA, 1984.

Massachusetts Audubon Society. “Local Authority for Groundwater Protection.” GroundwaterInformation Flyer #4. Lincoln, MA, 1984.

Massachusetts Audubon Society. “Mapping Aquifers and Recharge Areas.” Groundwater InformationFlyer #3. Lincoln, MA, 1984.

Massachusetts Audubon Society. “Road Salt and Groundwater Protection.” Groundwater InformationFlyer #9. Lincoln, MA, 1987.

McCann, Alyson and Thomas P. Husband. “Natural Resources Facts: Household Hazardous Waste.”University of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, 1988.

Mecozzi, Maureen. Groundwater: Protecting Wisconsin's Buried Treasure. Wisconsin Department of NaturalResources, Madison, WI, 1989.

Miller, David W. Groundwater Contamination: A Special Report. Geraghty & Miller Inc., Syosset, NY, 1982.

Mullikin, Elizabeth B. An Ounce of Prevention: A Ground Water Protection Handbook for Local Officials.Vermont Departments of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Health, and Agriculture,Montpelier, VT, 1984.

Murphy, Jim. “Groundwater and Your Town: What Your Town Can Do Right Now.” ConnecticutDepartment of Environmental Protection, Hartford, CT.

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REFERENCES (continued)

National Research Council. Ground Water Quality Protection: State and Strategies. National AcademyPress, Washington, DC., 1986.

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. “Groundwater: Out of Sight Not Out ofDanger” Boston, MA, 1989.

Noake, Kimberly D. Guide to Contamination Sources for Wellhead Protection. Draft. MassachusettsDepartment of Environmental Quality Engineering, Boston, MA, 1988.

Office of Drinking Water A Local Planning Process for Groundwater Protection. U.S. EPA, Washington, DC.,1989.

Office of Ground-Water Protection. Guidelines for Delineation of Wellhead Protection Areas. U.S. EPA,Washington, DC., 1987.

Office of Ground-Water Protection. Survey of State Ground Water Quality Protection Legislation EnactedFrom 1985 Through 1987. U.S. EPA, Washington, DC., 1988.

Office of Ground-Water Protection. Wellhead Protection: A Decision-Makers’ Guide. U.S. EPA, Washington,DC., 1987.

Office of Ground-Water Protection. Wellhead Protection Programs: Tools for Local Governments. U.S. EPAWashington, DC., 1989.

Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances. Citizen's Guide to Pesticides. U.S. EPA, Washington, DC., 1989.

Office of Underground Storage Tanks. Musts for USTs: A Summary of the New Regulations forUnderground Storage Tank Systems. U.S. EPA, Washington, D.C., 1988.

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Ground Water. Columbus, OH.

Redlich, Swan. Summary of Municipal Actions for Groundwater Protection in the New England/New YorkRegion. New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, Boston, MA, 1988.

Southern Arizona Water Resources Association. “Water Warnings: Our Drinking Water. . . . It TakesEveryone to Keep It Clean.” Tucson, AZ.

Sponenberg, Torsten D. and Jacob H. Kahn. A Groundwater Primer for Virginians. Virginia PolytechnicInstitute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 1984.

Texas Water Commission. “On Dangerous Ground: The Problem of Abandoned Wells in Texas.”Austin, TX, 1989.

Texas Water Commission. The Underground Subject: An Introduction to Ground Water Issues in Texas.Austin, TX, 1989.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Seminar Publication: Protection of Public Water Supplies fromGround-Water Contaminants. Center for Environmental Research Information, Cincinnati, OH, 1985.

Waller, Roger M. Ground Water and the Rural Homeowner. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, 1988.

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APPENDIX

NEW INFORMATION FOR THE 1999 REPRINTED EDITION

Appendices 1 and 2 are not included in this edition since they areoutdated. The following information replaces them:

New Drinking Water Protection Information for CommunitiesAs a result of new requirements in the 1996 amendments to the SafeDrinking Water Act, states are now implementing Source WaterAssessment Programs, which build on existing wellhead protectionprograms. In these assessments, states will identify the mostsignificant potential sources of contamination for each public watersystem - whether served by ground water or surface water. Theseassessments, which should be completed for all public water systemsin each state by 2003 and made available to the public, will providevaluable information for communities on priority drinking waterprotection needs.

Contacts for more informationFor additional information about the source water assessment andground water protection programs in your state, contact the agency inyour state that manages the environmental and/or the public healthprotection programs. These contacts and links to specific states andEPA regions can be found on the EPA’s web page atwww.epa.gov/safewater/protect.html or by calling the Safe DrinkingWater Hotline at l-800-426-4791.

For local information on ground water protection efforts in yourcommunity, contact your local environmental or public health office.Contact information can be found by looking in the governmentsection of your telephone directory. If your drinking water comesfrom a water company or local government, contact them forinformation as well. Contact information can be found on yourwater bill or in the telephone directory.

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APPENDIX 1. POTENTIALLY HARMFUL COMPONENTS OFCOMMON HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

ProductAntifreeze (gasoline or coolant systems)Automatic transmission fluidBattery acid (electrolyte)Degreasers for driveways and garagesDegreasers for engines and metal

Engine and radiator flushesHydraulic fluid (brake fluid)Motor oils and waste oilsGasoline and jet fuelDiesel fuel, kerosene, #2 heating oilGrease, lubesRustproofersCar wash detergentsCar waxes and polishesAsphalt and roofing tarPaints, varnishes, stains, dyesPaint and lacquer thinner

Paint and varnish removers, deglossers

Paint brush cleaners

Floor and furniture strippersMetal polishesLaundry soil and stain removersSpot removers and dry cleaning fluid

other solventsRock salt (Halite)RefrigerantsBug and tar removersHousehold cleansers, oven cleanersD r a i n c l e a n e r sToilet cleanersCesspool cleaners

DisinfectantsPesticides (all types)

Photochemicals

Printing inkWood preservatives (creasote)Swimming pool chlorineLye or caustic sodaJewelry cleaners

Toxic or Hazardous Componentsmethanol ethylene glycolpetroleum distillates, xylenesulfuric acidpetroleum solvents, alcohols, glycol etherchlorinated hydrocarbons, toluene, phenols,

dichloroperchloroethylenepetroleum solvents, ketones, butanol, glycol etherhydrocarbons, fluorocarbonshydrocarbonshydrocarbonshydrocarbonshydrocarbonsphenols, heavy metalsalkyl benzene sulfonatespetroleum distillates, hydrocarbonshydrocarbonsheavy metals, tolueneacetone, benzene, toluene, butyl, acetate,

methyl ketonesmethylene chloride, toluene, acetone, xylene,

ethanol benzene, methanolhydrocarbons, toluene, acetone, methanol,

glycol ethers, methyl ethyl ketonesxylenepetroleum distillates, isopropanol, petroleum napthapetroleum distillates, tetrachloroethylenehydrocarbons, benzene, trichloroethylene,

1,1,l trichloroethaneacetone, benzenesodium concentration1,1,2 trichloro - 1,2,2 triflourothanexylene, petroleum distillatesxylenols, glycol ethers, isopropanol1,1,l trichloroethanexylene, sulfonates, chlorinated phenolstetrachloroethylene, dichlorohenzene,

methylene chloridecresol, xylenolsnapthalene, phosphorus, xylene, chloroform,

heavy metals, chlorinated hydrocarbonsphenols, sodium sulfite, cyanine, silver halide,

potassium bromideheavy metals, phenol-formaldehydepentachlorophenolssodium hypochloritesodium hydroxidesodiumcyanide

Reprinted from “Natural Resources Facts: Household Hazardous Wastes,” Fact Sheet No. 88-3,Department of Natural Science, University of Rhode Island, August 1988.

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