2. How are groundwater and surface water connected?
Percolation and Seepage

4. Surface water vs. Groundwater
Which is generally more polluted? ~ Surface Water Which is harder to clean up? ~ Groundwater

5. Earth = the natural filter

6. Groundwater pollution sticks around...
Very cold, no bacterial breakdown
Very slow water movement: recharge can take 100’s or 1000’s of years
Pollutants can stick to rocks in aquifer and pollute new water

7. What Pollutes Groundwater?

8. Sources of Groundwater pollution...
landfills
leaky underground storage tanks
mines
septic tanks
hazardous waste - deep well injection
any pollutant in runoff that percolates

9. Case Study: Natural Gas Drilling
Marcellus Shale
Fracking - Hydraulic Fracturing
Loophole in Safe Water Drinking Act
natural gas companies don’t have to
disclose chemicals being used

10. How can we protect groundwater?
Prevention is the key…
Monitor aquifers & landfills
Requirements for old fuel tanks
Leak detection system
Liability insurance
Stricter regulations on toxic waste disposal
Above-ground storage of toxic waste...but then you have toxic mud spills!

11. Laws Clean Water Act – surface water
1972 – make water swimmable and fishable by regulating point sources
1977 and 1987 – storm water runoff
Section 404 – requires permit for draining, dredging, filling wetlands
Mitigation banking
Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) – monitors levels of contaminants in groundwater