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Groundwater pollution occurs when contaminants seep into the water, making it unsafe to drink or use. It can be caused by various sources, and once discovered, it must be addressed to prevent its spread. People can help prevent it by responsibly disposing of hazardous materials and advocating for environmental legislation.
Groundwater pollution is a type of pollution that occurs when groundwater becomes contaminated. Worldwide, groundwater pollution is a very serious and costly problem, and many governments have begun taking aggressive action to address it. Once contaminated, groundwater is very expensive to clean up and make usable again, and in some cases, an aquifer can become so contaminated that it has to be abandoned, which can put enormous pressure on a community as it tries to find a new water supply.
There are different types of groundwater, ranging from water that flows freely through the ground and interacts with surface water to closed aquifers, which are theoretically very difficult to contaminate. Groundwater becomes polluted when materials seep through the soil and reach the water, which can happen when rain washes contaminants into the ground, when polluted surface water connects to groundwater, and when buried tanks or sites disposal plants begin to leach.
Any number of contaminants can end up in groundwater, including sewage, prescription drugs, agricultural chemicals, microorganisms, road salt, landfill seepage, petroleum products, chemicals, and hazardous waste such as nuclear waste. These contaminants make the water unsafe to drink, as they can cause serious health problems. The water can also be hazardous for use in agriculture or manufacturing and can cause problems for local fauna and flora exposed to contaminated water.
People usually identify groundwater pollution when people start getting sick from drinking it or when routine testing of water supplies reveals contamination. People with wells are at high risk of becoming ill from polluted water, because plumes of contaminants can end up in surprising places, and people who drink municipal water are also at risk, because groundwater can be one of the sources used by a municipality to meet the water needs of the population.
Once discovered, groundwater pollution must be addressed, both to clean up the contaminated water and to prevent its spread. Finding the source of the contamination and cleaning or containing it is important, as is cleaning the water to make it safe for use. In cases where the water cannot be cleaned, it will need to be contained so that contaminants cannot form a plume in the soil and reach clean water supplies. You may need to secure alternative water supplies to meet water needs while tackling pollution.
People can help prevent groundwater pollution by responsibly disposing of hazardous materials such as oil, paint, unused prescriptions, and solvents in a facility certified to handle those materials. They can also lobby their lawmakers for more aggressive environmental legislation designed to reduce groundwater pollution by setting standards and authorizing government agencies to enforce them.
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