GROUNDWATER ASSESSMENT

Contamination of soil and water caused by industrialization has become a major environmental issue in the United States. Industrial sites and municipal waste landfills are potential sources of pollution that may cause ecotoxicological effects on terrestrial, aquatic and groundwater ecosystems. Water quality data are only as good as the water samples from which the measurements are made. Even the most precise laboratory analysis of a water sample cannot compensate for improper or poorly executed sampling procedures or for physical and chemical alteration of a sample due to inappropriate sample collection, transport, or storage. EcoReliant knows groundwater sampling techniques are important for accurate project results and understanding aquifers whether the project is sampling a groundwater monitoring well as part of an environmental assessment or regular sampling of a potable water supply well.

Underground and aboveground storage tanks are commonly used to store petroleum products and other chemical substances. For example, many homes have underground heating oil tanks. Many businesses and municipal highway departments also store gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, or chemicals in on-site tanks. Industries use storage tanks to hold chemicals used in industrial processes or to store hazardous wastes for pickup by a licensed hauler. Approximately 4 million underground storage tanks exist in the United States and, over the years, the contents of many of these tanks have leaked and spilled into the environment. If an underground storage tank develops a leak, which commonly occurs as the tank ages and corrodes, its contents can migrate through the soil and reach the ground water. Tanks that meet federal/state standards for new and upgraded systems are less likely to fail, but they are not foolproof. Abandoned underground tanks pose another problem because their location is often unknown. Aboveground storage tanks can also pose a threat to ground water if a spill or leak occurs and adequate barriers are not in place. Improper chemical storage, sloppy materials handling, and poor-quality containers can be major threats to ground water. Tanker trucks and train cars pose another chemical storage hazard. Each year, approximately 16,000 chemical spills occur from trucks, trains, and storage tanks, often when materials are being transferred. At the site of an accidental spill, the chemicals are often diluted with water and then washed into the soil, increasing the possibility of ground water contamination.

Landfills

Solid waste is disposed of in thousands of municipal and industrial landfills throughout the country. Chemicals that should be disposed of in hazardous waste landfills sometimes end up in municipal landfills. In addition, the disposal of many household wastes is not regulated. Once in the landfill, chemicals can leach into the ground water by means of precipitation and surface runoff. New landfills are required to have clay or synthetic liners and leachate (liquid from a landfill containing contaminants) collection systems to protect ground water. Most older landfills, however, do not have these safeguards. Older landfills were often sited over aquifers or close to surface waters and in permeable soils with shallow water tables, enhancing the potential for leachate to contaminate ground water. Closed landfills can continue to pose a ground water contamination threat if they are not capped with an impermeable material (such as clay) before closure to prevent the leaching of contaminants by precipitation.

Regulations to Protect Groundwater

Several federal laws help protect ground water quality. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) established three drinking water source protection programs: the Wellhead Protection Program, Sole Source Aquifer Program, and the Source Water Assessment Program. It also called for regulation of the use of underground injection wells for waste disposal and provided EPA and the states with the authority to ensure that drinking water supplied by public water systems meets minimum health standards. The Clean Water Act regulates ground water that is shown to have a connection with surface water. It sets standards for allowable pollutant discharges to surface water. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulates treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous and nonhazardous wastes. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund) authorizes the government to clean up contamination or sources of potential contamination from hazardous waste sites or chemical spills, including those that threaten drinking water supplies. CERCLA includes a “community right-toknow” provision. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) regulates pesticide use. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulates manufactured chemicals

Effects of Groundwater Contamination

Contamination of ground water can result in poor drinking water quality, loss of water supply, degraded surface water systems, high cleanup costs, high costs for alternative water supplies, and/or potential health problems. The consequences of contaminated ground water or degraded surface water are often serious. For example, estuaries that have been impacted by high nitrogen from ground water sources have lost critical shellfish habitats. In terms of water supply, in some instances, ground water contamination is so severe that the water supply must be abandoned as a source of drinking water. In other cases, the ground water can be cleaned up and used again, if the contamination is not too severe and if the municipality is willing to spend a good deal of money. Follow-up water quality monitoring is often required for many years. Because ground water generally moves slowly, contamination often remains undetected for long periods of time. This makes cleanup of a contaminated water supply difficult, if not impossible. If a cleanup is undertaken,

For more information on EcoReliant’s groundwater assessment projects and services please call us now at 859.813.2699 or Email Us.