AUDIENCE: Legislators/governmental officials/'environmental organizations/industry/ general public

BACKGROUND: Ground water is a vast resource that underlies the earth's surface. Nearly half of the U.S. population uses ground water for their drinking water source, including virtually all rural residents. In addition, ground water provides much of the water used for irrigation and for industry. On average, about 40 percent of the annual streamflow in the United States is comprised of ground water seepage although in some areas more than three fourths of the average streamflow, including virtually all fair weather flow comes from ground water discharge into streambeds.

In most cases, ground water needs little or no treatment prior to use. However, in many instances, natural ground water quality is unsuitable without treatment. Ground water occurrence, including its vulnerability to contamination and its value and use as a resource, varies from place to place.

Ground water contamination has been documented in every state and region of the United States. It is recognized that a wide variety of human activities can adversely impact ground water quality. Once contaminated, it is often very costly, time-consuming, and sometimes technically infeasible to restore aquifers to their original potential.

ISSUE: How do we protect the nation's ground water from contamination for present and future use?

POSITION: It is the position of the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) that the fresh water aquifers of the United States should be protected from degradation. It is understood that a goal of non-degradation is economically and technically impractical in many circumstances. The goal of ground water quality protection programs should be protection of the resource for existing or potential beneficial uses.

NGWA believes that no single method is available to address ground water quality protection. Among the methods available are land-use controls and containment or isolation of contaminant sources.

Waste reduction, education, and technology transfer are important features of the effort to protect our valuable ground water. A combination of measures is needed for an adequate protection program. NGWA recommends an increased level of scientific research that can be used to provide the basis for land-use control decisions.

Appropriations and program priorities should emphasize resource protection efforts. Control of potential and active sources of contamination should be a national objective, thereby reducing the need for remediation of ground water.

CONTACT: Chris Reimer, NGWA, 800/ 551-7379

REFERENCE: U.S. Geological Survey, National Watet Surnmary 1986. p. 3.