According to the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), the drinking water supplies of 44 percent of Americans rely on groundwater—the water that fills cracks and other openings in beds of rock, gravel, and sand below the ground’s surface. In rural areas, the percentage of people dependent on groundwater for their drinking water supply is about 96 percent.
It is estimated that 99 percent of all available fresh water is groundwater. Those facts alone have justified the need for Groundwater Awareness Week, which runs from March 9-15.
Every person can play a role in being a good steward or manager of groundwater. Groundwater protection is particularly important for people with water wells that provide their household water supply.
Here are simple steps that well owners can take to protect groundwater:
- Install a locking well cap or sanitary seal to prevent unauthorized use of, or entry into, the well.
- Do not mix or use pesticides, fertilizers, degreasers, fuels, and other pollutants near the well.
- Never dispose of wastes in dry or abandoned wells.
- Have a qualified septic system service provider pump and inspect your septic system as recommended.
- Avoid disposing of hazardous substances in your septic system.
- Take care when working or mowing around your well so as not to damage the well head or your water distribution line.
- Be careful not to spill any hazardous substances such as fuel or motor oil on the ground.
For more information, please visit the Ohio Department of Health’s Private Water Systems program or the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Division of Drinking and Ground Water.