tinted StMM
                        Environmental Protection
                        Office otWtttr
                        WH550A
EPA810-F-92-002
June 1992
 oEPA
Ground Water Protection:
A Citizen's Action Checklist
What Is being done to protect our drinking water
                        • Disposal of household waste at landfills, or in your
                           backyard.
                        • Useofundergroundstoragetaiteordrains,suchasat
                           gasoline stations or on forms for farm equipment
Americans have the safest drinking water supplies in the
world • so safe that we never have to think much about
it In a country as industrialized as ours, though, there is
nothing natural or simple about the fact that our water
supplies are safe. It has taken a tremendous amount of What you should do to help protect your water
work to ensure this. At all levels of government there are
people who work full time to protect our drinking water
supplies through passing laws, setting regulatory stan-
dards, and making improvements in treating water and
delivering it to you.
                        1. Begin by finding out where your drinking water comes
                        jrotn.
However, these people make up a relatively small group
compared to the size of their task, and there are always
limited government resources to protect drinking water.
As our nation's population grows into the next century,
the potential for contamination of our water sources wul
also continue to grow. So although most of our water
supplies are safe now, we cannot afford to lower our
guard or leave anything to chance.

There is much that individual citizens can do to pitch in
and help. This fact sheet describes actions which you can
Cake to help protect your drinking water supply.

What you should know about potential threats  to
ground water supplies

Until recently ground water was thought to be protected
from contamination by die natural filtering action of soil
and rock. After seeing reported does of ground water
contamination in every state, we know that chemicals
can pass through these soil layers. Some types of activity
around your water source can affect your water quality,
whether your water comes from a public supply or a
private well The most important of these are listed here.
• Expandingorbuildii^newindustrial,resideritialor
   commercial areas.
•. Routine road maintenance, such as repaying or de-
   icing during winter months.
• Using pesticides or fertilizers on any commercial or
   residential areas.
                        If it comes from a private or household well:
                        • Determine the type of well you have - is it shallow
                           (dug), or a deep, drilled well? If you are not sure, can
                           the well drilling contractor who installed your well
                           and ask them how deep it is and how it was con-
                           structed. If mis isn't possible, contact the drinking
                           water officeinyourState department of public health,
                           natural resources or environmental protection. Ask
                           them about information from the well records for
                           your area.
                        • Shallow wells, whether dug or drilled, or poorly con-
                           structed deeper wells tend to be more vulnerable to
                           contamination due to runoff from storm drains or
                           misuse of the land above and "upstream" from the
                           weU. If your well is likely to be vulnerable, conduct
                           a survey of the area around your well:
                           •  is there livestock nearby?
                           -  are pesticides being used on nearby agricultural
                              croplands or nurseries?
                           -  do you use lawn fertilizers near the well?
                           •  is your weU  'downstream" from your or a
                              neighbor's septic system?
                           •  isycnirweniamtedneararoadthatisfrequently
                              salted or sprayed with de-icers during the winter
                              months?
                           •  do you or your neighbors dispose of household
                              wastes or used motor oil in the backyard, even in
                           ,1  small amounts?        "* - '
                        • Ifanyof tihese items apply, it may be best to have your
                           water tested, and to talk to your local public health
                                   Public Education Fad Sheet Sono

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                        UntedStMM
                        Environmental Protection
                        Offiot of Water
                        WH550A
EPA810-F-92-002
Jun« 1992
 oEPA
Ground Water Protection:
A Citizen's Action Checklist
What Is being done to protect our drinking water
                          Disposal of household waste at landfills, or in your
                           backyard.
                          Useofundergroundstoragetanksordrains,suchasat
                           gasoline stations or on farms for farm equipment
Americans have the safest drinking water supplies in the
world • so safe that we never have to think much about
it In a country as industrialized as ours, though, there is
nothing natural or simple about the fact that our water
supplies are safe. It has taken a tremendous amount of  What you should do to help protect your water
work to ensure this. At all levels of government there are
people who work full time to protect our drinking water
supplies through passing laws, setting regulatory stan-
dards, and making improvements in treating water and
delivering it to you.
                        1. Begin by finding out where your drinking water comes
                        from.
However, these people make up a relatively small group
compared to the size of their task, and there are always
limited government resources to protect drinking water.
As our nation's population grows into the next century,
the potential for contamination of our water sources will
also continue to grow. So although most of our water
supplies are safe now, we cannot afford to lower our
guard or leave anything to chance.
There is much that individual citizens can do to pitch in
and help. This fact sheet describes actions which you can
Cake to help protect your drinking water supply.

What you should know about potential threats to
ground water supplies

Until recently ground water was thought to be protected
from contamination by the natural filtering action of soil
and rock. After seeing reported cases of ground water
contamination in every state, we know that chemicals
can pass through these soil layers. Some types of activity
around your water source can affect your water quality,
whether your water comes from a public supply or a
private welL The most important of these are listed here.
• Expandingorbuildingnewiiulustrial,residentialor
   commercial areas.
•. Routine road maintenance, such as repaying or de-
   icing during winter months.
• Using pesticides or fertilizers on any commercial or
   residential areas.
                        If it comes from a private or household well:
                        • Determine the type of well you have - is it shallow
                           (dug), or a deep, drilled well? If you are not sure, can
                           the well drilling contractor who installed your well
                           and ask them how deep it is and how it was con-
                           structed. If mis isn't possible, contact the drinking
                           water officeinyourState department of publichealth,
                           natural resources or environmental protection. Ask
                           them about information from the well records for
                           your area.
                        • Shallow wells, whether dug or drilled, or poorly con-
                           structed deeper wells tend to be more vulnerable to
                           contamination due to runoff from storm drains or
                           misuse of the land above and "upstream" from the
                           well If your well is likely to be vulnerable, conduct
                           a survey of the area around your well:
                           •  is there livestock nearby?
                           -  are pestkides being used on nearby agricultural
                              croplands or nurseries?
                           -  do you use lawn fertilizers near the well?
                           •  Is your well  'downstream" from your or a
                              neighbor's septic system?
                           •  isyourwenkwatedneararoadthatisfreqiiently
                              salted or sprayed with de-icers during the winter
                              months?
                           •  do you or your neighbors dispose of household
                              wastes or used motor oil in the backyard, even in
                           ,~  small amounts?         * - '
                        • Ifanyofmeseitemsapply,itniaybebesttohaveyour
                           water tested, and to talk to jcour local public health
                                    Public Education Fad Sheet Sono

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