Ground Water Awareness Week March 11-17, 2012
National Ground Water Awareness Week, an annual observance sponsored by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), is March 11–17, 2012. The purpose of this observance is to stress how important ground water is to the health of all people and the environment (1).
Ground Water Contamination
Protecting ground water sources from contamination is an important priority for countries throughout the world, including the United States. Most of the time, ground water sources in the United States are safe to use and not a cause for worry. However, ground water sources can become contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemicals that can lead to sickness and disease.
Ground water contaminants sometimes occur naturally in the environment (for example, arsenic and radon), but are more often the result of human activities. These activities include incorrect use of fertilizers and pesticides; poorly sited, constructed or maintained septic systems; improper disposal or storage of wastes; and chemical spills at industrial sites (4). From 1971 to 2006, 54% of reported drinking water outbreaks were due to the use of untreated ground water (31%) or ground water treatment deficiencies (23%). The most common pathogens identified in ground water outbreaks during this period included Shigella spp., hepatitis A virus, norovirus, Giardia intestinalis, Campylobacter spp, and Salmonella spp (5).
Is your household in either of these categories?
Are you among the almost 90 million Americans who get their tap water from a community water system that uses ground water?
More information on EPA's National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
More information on community water systems
Are you among the 15 million American households who have their own private wells?
More information on well maintenance
More Information
References:
- National Ground Water Association. National Ground Water Awareness Week: March 11–17, 2012
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- USGS. Earth's Water Distribution. Updated December, 2011
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- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Public Drinking Water Systems: Facts and Figures. Updated December, 2011
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- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Drinking Water from Household Wells; 2002
[PDF - 1.61MB]
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- Craun GF, Brunkard JM, Yoder JS, Roberts VA, Carpenter J, Wade T, Calderon RL, Roberts JM, Beach MJ, Roy SL, Causes of outbreaks associated with drinking water in the United States from 1971 to 2006. Clin Microbiol Rev 2010;23:507-28
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- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Drinking Water Contaminants: List of Contaminants and Their Maximum Contaminant Level (MCLs). Updated January 2012
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- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. FACTIODS: Drinking Water and Ground Water Statistics for 2009, Office of Water, Printed in 2009
[PDF - 115KB]
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- US Census Bureau. Current Housing Reports, Series H150/09, American Housing Survey for the United States: 2009, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC: 20401. Printed in 2011
[PDF - 5.776.82MB]
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- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Private Drinking Water Wells: What You Can Do. Updated October, 2011
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