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National Groundwater Awareness Week is Coming
In 2023, National Groundwater Awareness Week is March 6-12, which is a great time to learn how to make groundwater safe. Groundwater is the most accessed source of freshwater in the world and it also accounts for half of the world’s drinking water.
National Groundwater Awareness Week is an annual observance sponsored by the National Groundwater Association (NGWA) highlighting how important groundwater is to people’s health and the environment.
Groundwater Explained
Water is one of the world’s most vital resources supporting life. Animals, plants, and humans all depend on water for their continued existence. Humans use water for myriad day-today activities like cooking, drinking, bathing, farming, manufacturing, medical uses, and more.
Water covers 71 percent of the earth’s surface, in contrast to land mass. One might think that this would make water readily available for consumption, but 97 percent of that water is ocean water—salty and undrinkable. Only 3 percent of the earth’s water is fresh and suitable for drinking and much of this water is groundwater.
Groundwater is water found below the earth’s surface in spaces between rock and soil. Surface water is water that collects above the earth’s surface, such as in streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans. Thirty percent of all the fresh water on earth is groundwater, while the other 70 percent is surface water. Groundwater supplies water to wells and springs and is an important source of water for public water systems and private wells in the United States. An estimated 145 million Americans get their tap water from a groundwater source.
National Groundwater Awareness Week is the time of the year to advocate for the cleanliness and safety of groundwater. It’s a reminder that the importance of groundwater can’t be taken for granted.
Five Important Facts About Groundwater
1. Amount of groundwater available
It’s estimated that there are about 2.8 trillion gallons of groundwater in the world, making up 30.1 percent of the world’s freshwater. 2. Cleanliness of groundwater
More often than not, groundwater is clean and ready to drink because the soil filters the water, holding chemicals, living organisms, and minerals and allowing only water through to the aquifers. 3. A major addition to surface water
Hydrologists estimate that groundwater contributes about 40 to 50 percent of the water that flows into streams, lakes, and rivers. 4. Dependence on groundwater
About half the world’s population depends on groundwater for drinking. In the U.S., it provides 44 percent of the drinking water supply. 5. The largest aquifer in the world
The Great Artesian Basin in Australia is the largest and deepest aquifer holding groundwater, underlying 22 percent of the continent.
Frequently Asked Questions About Groundwater
Why is groundwater so important?
It provides the largest source of freshwater. As stated earlier, the largest percentage of water on earth is ocean water, which is practically undrinkable because of its saltiness.
Is there an alternative to groundwater?
Yes. The major alternative is rainwater, but since it doesn’t rain all year round, and in all places, the easy availability of groundwater makes it a better option.
What problems can arise with groundwater?
Several problems can arise with groundwater, including drying of wells, contamination of the water, waterlogging and salinity, saltwater encroachment, and more.
Water is Life
Water is very important to the existence of life. Be it humans, animals, or the earth itself, nothing can live without water. This makes National Groundwater Awareness Week unique and necessary.
It’s a Time for Information and Advocacy
This event is important to help in fighting against debilitating waterborne diseases that can be in water wells because of negligence. A yearly check-up would help to detect and prevent germs and bacteria that can be very harmful to the safety of the water.
Protection for the Future
Because freshwater is readily available in most societies, it’s easy to forget its importance and why it must be guarded and protected. This event is a reminder of the need to protect groundwater, especially for the future.
Protection of Well Water
One of the ideas behind awareness week is to advocate for the safety of well water. Water customers who are private well water owners should schedule a professional to test their
Continued from page 6 water yearly, and in the case of any problems, treat them immediately.
Protect Wells From Harmful Substances
This is the time to be security conscious about private wells. Make sure they’re free of every chemical and harmful substance that can find itself inside the wells and contaminate the water.
Inform Others About Groundwater
Many people know nothing about groundwater and its importance, which can be surprising. As someone in the water industry, share your knowledge with others and explain how to keep groundwater safe.
Groundwater Contamination
All groundwater sources should be protected from contamination (germs and harmful chemicals). Protecting the safety of groundwater is an important priority for countries throughout the world. Most of the time, U.S. groundwater is safe to use; however, groundwater sources can become contaminated with germs, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, and chemicals, such as those used in fertilizers and pesticides. Contaminated groundwater can make people sick and harm the environment.
Groundwater Infrastructure Requires Regular Maintenance
Groundwater sometimes contains naturally present germs and harmful chemicals from the environment, such as arsenic and radon. More often, however, human activities contaminate groundwater. These causes can include incorrect use of fertilizers and pesticides; poorly situated, constructed, or maintained septic systems; improper removal or storage of wastes; mining and construction; and chemical spills at work sites.
Contamination of groundwater systems can lead to outbreaks of disease. Previous outbreaks have occurred either because the groundwater was untreated or because of problems with water treatment.
The most common germs identified in groundwater outbreaks include: S Shigella S Hepatitis A S Norovirus S Giardia S Campylobacter S Salmonella
Other germs that cause outbreaks from groundwater include Cryptosporidium (a parasite), E. coli (a bacterium), and assorted viruses. From 2009 to 2017, 143 outbreaks linked to groundwater systems were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More information about some of the most common environmental chemicals that may be in community water supplies can be found at the CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking Network.
The presence of germs and harmful chemicals in groundwater can lead to health problems, including diarrhea, reproductive problems, and nervous system disorders. Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, people whose immune systems are weakened, and chemotherapy or transplant patients may be more likely to get sick from certain germs and chemicals.
Concerns for groundwater contaminants led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and individual states to develop regulations to protect public water systems, such as the 2006 Groundwater Rule.
An emerging concern in recent years is the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water. Much research remains to be done to assess the health risks of trace amounts of these items, but careful and safe disposal strategies for these substances are increasingly being advocated.
Groundwater Sources
Public Water Systems
The EPA regulates drinking water quality in public water systems. Customers can find out more about their local drinking water quality and possible contaminants by viewing their Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which most utility companies are required to provide to customers. Public water systems are required to treat drinking water to federal quality standards; however, it’s up to private well owners to make sure their water is safe.
Private Wells
An estimated 43 million Americans get their water from private groundwater wells, which are not subject to EPA regulations. Private groundwater wells can provide safe, clean water, but contamination that can cause sickness also can occur in well water. State and local health departments provide information to help well users protect their drinking water.
National Groundwater Monitoring Network
The National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGWMN) started as a program of the Subcommittee on Groundwater of the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). The NGWMN is a compilation of selected groundwater monitoring wells from federal, state, and local groundwater monitoring networks across the U.S. The design for the network is presented in the document “A National Framework for Groundwater Monitoring in the United States.”
The NGWMN data portal provides access to groundwater data from multiple, dispersed databases in a web-based mapping application. The portal contains current and historical data, including water levels, water quality, lithology, and well construction. The NGWMN is currently in the process of adding new data providers to the network. Agencies or organizations collecting groundwater data can find out more about becoming a data provider for the network.
Funding to support data providers to the NGWMN is provided through U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreements. Agencies can also find information about the status of the USGS cooperative agreements.
The current 2023 NGWMN funding opportunity began on Sept. 30, 2022, and will be open until Jan. 26, 2023.
For more information about National Groundwater Awareness Week, NGWMN funding, and groundwater in general go to www.ngwa.org. S
