Ground Water Pollution

Endangering Our Fresh Water Sources

Ground water is an important resource that replenishes streams, rivers, and habitats. Ground Water Pollution is endangering our sources of fresh water for irrigation, industry, and communities. Over 75% of the cities in the USA depend on ground water for their drinking water supplies.

Also, to 50% of Americans (95% of the rural population), ground water is the primary source of drinking water. Despite this dependence, ground water is not well understood by the majority of people.

This EPA developed guidance combines the goals of two major regional initiatives:

1/ The Super fund Beneficial Reuse Initiative

2/ The Comprehensive Ground Water Protection Strategy

As part of the Super fund Beneficial Reuse Initiative, this guidance is intended to result in more informed and focused decision-making and more common-sense, cost-effective ground water cleanups.

Surface Water

Surface Water is water found over the land surface in streams, ponds, marshes, lakes or other fresh (not salty) sources.

Surface water is much more easily contaminated than ground water. Filtration through the soil helps clean ground water. Surface water experiences much less friction than ground water as it flows on the surface.

Ground Water

Ground Water is water that occurs in the zone of saturation in an aquifer or soil. One of the differences between surface and ground water is that ground water moves much slower than surface water.

Ground water moves much slower than Surface Water because there is much more friction as it moves through the pores in soil.

The following activities and contaminants make up the basic concepts of the hydrologic cycle, hydrogeology and supply and demand as they pertain to ground water.  

• Contaminants that can affect ground water quality along with the risks these contaminants pose. 
   
• Activities that an individual or community can do to help protect and conserve ground water. 
   
• Programs that are now in place at the federal, state, and local levels to help protect ground water.

Ground Water Pollution Programs

Ground water pollution programs can be broken into two major categories: ground water quantity and ground water quality issues.

1/ Quantity issues includes such things as:

Where does ground water come from?

How does ground water travel?

What is ground water used for?

How can we preserve ground water supplies?

2/ Other Water quality issues to considered include:

Where do water contaminants come from?

What treatment devices should be used for specific contaminants?

How can we change actions to preserve and improve ground water quality?

Southwest Public Water Supply 

To some extent, 80% of public water supply systems in the Southwest relies on ground water. This supply of water is very vulnerable to contamination from pollutants occurring on and below the earth's surface.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes three EPA ground water protection regulatory programs:

1/ The Underground Injection Control (UIC) program

 2/ The Sole Source Aquifer (SSA) designation program

3/ The Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWP) program

Ground water resources are important to us all

What Can You Do?

To ensure an adequate supply of quality ground water for today and future generations, every RVer needs must help to protect the quality and quantity of our ground water.

We must all change our daily habits to help conserve and protect our ground water. One way to do this is to educate others about the impacts everyone has on ground water without realizing it.

Regulatory Ground Water Protection

Ground water protection occurs at the Federal, State and local levels of Governmental Agencies. Federal and State governmental agencies regulate ground water through laws, regulations, and policies.

In addition, State and local governments also have their own agencies, laws and regulations.  These agencies may regulate ground water through their local ordinances or help other Governmental agencies enforce laws.

The Federal legislation provides a baseline for ground water regulations. State and local laws often will provide stricter regulations than the Federal law.

Non-Regulatory Ground Water Protection

Often, Ground water protection occurs through non-regulatory methods which include education, voluntary programs, and involvement of local citizens. Effective ground water protection relies on many programs, both regulatory and non-regulatory.

Drinking Water Protection

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) protects your RV Drinking Water. It does this through the USEPA. They are authorized to develop regulations for uniform drinking water quality standards nationwide.

They also implement programs to protect public health and the safety of public water supplies. State and local agencies ensure the safety of public water systems through regular testing.

The number of contaminants in a water system is determined by the amount of contaminants in the source water. State agencies provide technical and other assistance to help ensure and maintain safe drinking water quality.

Public Water Utilities

Public Water Utilities are responsible for providing safe and reliable drinking water supplies to their customers. They are responsible for the testing contamination on a regular basis and are responsible for reporting to the State and their customers. 

When unsafe drinking water conditions exist, these Public Water Utilities are responsible for the treatment, operation,  maintenance and the development of Water Protection Programs