How Vulnerable are Public-Supply Wells? - Aug 13, 2013
The USGS has conducted a new study to determine the contaminant vulnerability of public-supply wells around the country, and also to discover which pollutants in an aquifer will make their way into those wells. - Aug 13, 2013
In the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) public-supply well
study, ten study areas were the main focus. Those areas included Modesto,
Calif., Woodbury, Conn., near Tampa, Fla., York, Nebr., near Carson City and
Sparks, Nev., Glassboro, N. J., Albuquerque, N. Mex., Dayton, Ohio, San
Antonio, Tex., and Salt Lake City, Utah.
"Improving the understanding of the vulnerability of
public-supply wells to contamination is needed to safeguard public health and
prevent future contamination," said Suzette Kimball, acting USGS Director.
"By examining ten different aquifers across the nation, we have a more
thorough and robust understanding of the complexities and factors affecting water
quality in our public supplies."
Results of the study indicated that some aquifers allow
contaminants to stay in groundwater longer or travel to wells much quicker than
other aquifers because of direct pathways, such as fractures in rocks or
wellbores of non-pumping wells. Irrigation and high-volume pumping were also
found as human-induced contaminants in groundwater. Arsenic and uranium were
found as natural contaminants in drinking water as a result of geochemical
changes.
Source: http://eponline.com
Aug 13, 2013