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 ------- 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 ------- |