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Groundwater contamination
occurs when man-made products such as gasoline, oil, road
salts and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it to
become unsafe and unfit for human use. Some of the major
sources of these products, called contaminants, are storage
tanks, septic systems, hazardous waste sites, landfills, and
the widespread use of road salts and chemicals.
Storage tanks may contain
gasoline, oil, chemicals, or other types of liquids and they
can either be above or below ground. There are estimated to be
over 10 million storage tanks buried in the United
States and over time the tanks can corrode, crack and develop
leaks. If the contaminants leak out and get into the
groundwater, serious contamination can occur.
Septic systems can be another
serious contamination source. Septic systems are for homes,
offices or other buildings that are not connected to a city
sewer system. Septic systems are designed to slowly drain away
human waste underground at a slow, harmless rate. An
improperly designed, located, constructed, or maintained
septic system can leak bacteria, viruses, household chemicals,
and other contaminants into the groundwater causing serious
problems.
In the United States today,
there are thought to be over 20,000 known abandoned and
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and the numbers grow every
year. Hazardous waste sites can lead to groundwater
contamination if there are barrels or other containers laying
around that are full of hazardous materials. If there is a
leak, these contaminants can eventually make their way down
through the soil and into the groundwater.
Landfills are another major
source of contamination. Landfills are the places that our
garbage is taken to be buried. Landfills are supposed to have
a protective bottom layer to prevent contaminants from getting
into the water. However, if there is no layer or it is
cracked, contaminants from the landfill (car battery acid,
paint, household cleaners, etc.) can make their way down into
the groundwater.
The widespread use of
road salts and chemicals is another source of potential groundwater
contamination. Road salts are used in the wintertime to put
melt ice on roads to keep cars from sliding around. When the ice melts,
the salt gets washed off the roads and eventually ends up in
the water. Chemicals include products used on lawns and farm
fields to kill weeds and insects and to fertilize the plants.
When the rain comes, these chemicals get washed into the
ground and eventually into the water.
We have to remember that since
groundwater is part of the
hydrologic
cycle, contaminants in other parts of the cycle, such
as the atmosphere or bodies of surface water, can eventually
be transferred into our
groundwater supplies.
So now that you know the risks
to groundwater, what can we do about it?
Click
here to meet and join a network of communities full of
people who can help you and your community protect its groundwater.
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