Ground water was once thought to be naturally protected from contamination by the filtering action of native rocks and soils. We now know that ground water is vulnerable to contamination. In addition, contamination can spread as it is carried through the layers of rock and soil by ground water. This may render aquifers, once abundant with clean ground water, unfit as a source of public water supplies.

The threat of ground water contamination, although more obvious in large industrial cities, exists in virtually every type and size of community in Indiana. Contaminants can enter ground water from numerous sources including landfills, lagoons, chemical spills, leaking underground storage tanks and improperly managed hazardous waste sites. Ground water contamination can also result from a myriad of common practices, such as the use of fertilizers and pesticides; the disposal of human, animal, and agricultural waste; and the use of chemicals for roadway de-icing.

Source Protection

Our goal is to protect our ground water sources by reducing the risk of ground water contamination before it occurs. It is the concept of, “Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later”.

It is difficult to determine the “true value” of undertaking a source protection program. In general, the capital costs of cleaning up ground water are about 50 times more expensive than the costs for protecting it. However, the “true costs” of ground water contamination may also include:       

• Reducing the community’s confidence in the public water supply as a source of safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water,
• Decreasing property values; and,
• Impacting the community’s ability to attract business and realize its full economic development potential.

Who is responsible for source protection?