Quality of Source Water from Public-Supply Wells in the United States, 1993-2007

Abstract

For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.Suggested citation: Toccalino, P.L., Norman, J.E., and Hitt, K.J., 2010, Quality of source water from public-supply wells in the United States, 1993: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010 p. Additional information about this study is available at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/public_wells/.iii Foreword The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is committed to providing the Nation with reliable scientific information that helps to enhance and protect the overall quality of life and that facilitates effective management of water, biological, energy, and mineral resources (http://www.usgs.gov). Information on the Nation's water resources is critical to ensuring long-term availability of water that is safe for drinking and recreation and is suitable for industry, irrigation, and fish and wildlife. Population growth and increasing demands for water make the availability of that water, now measured in terms of quantity and quality, even more essential to the long-term sustainability of our communities and ecosystems.The USGS implemented the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in 1991 to support national, regional, state, and local information needs and decisions related to water-quality management and policy (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa). The NAWQA Program is designed to answer: What is the quality of our Nation's streams and groundwater? How are conditions changing over time? How do natural features and human activities affect the quality of streams and groundwater, and where are those effects most pronounced? By combining information on water chemistry, physical characteristics, stream habitat, and aquatic life, the NAWQA Program aims to provide science-based insights for current and emerging water issues and priorities. From 1991From -2001, the NAWQA Program completed interdisciplinary assessments and established a baseline understanding of water-quality conditions in 51 of the Nation's river basins and aquifers, referred to as Study Units (http://water. usgs.gov/nawqa/studyu.html).National and regional assessments are ongoing in the second decade (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012) of the NAWQA Program as 42 of the 51 Study Units are selectively reassessed. These assessments extend the findings in the Study Units by determining status and trends a...

The quality of our Nation's waters: water quality in the glacial aquifer system, northern United States, 1993-2009

“…(15) Atrazine and its breakdown product deethylatrazine also were among the most frequently detected pesticide compounds in water from public-and domesticsupply wells nationwide. (76,77) Although the frequency of pesticide occurrence is not uniform across the glacial aquifer system because of differences in rates of use and areal distribution, atrazine and deethylatrazine were detected at or above the common assessment level of 0.2 µg/L in samples from wells in the Corn Belt States in about 2 percent of samples-about the same frequency as for all samples in the glacial aquifer system ( fig. 7-15A).…”

Arsenic(V) Reduction in Relation to Iron(III) Transformation and Molecular Characterization of the Structural and Functional Microbial Community in Sediments of a Basin-Fill Aquifer in Northern Utah

“…In the United States, As concentrations in excess of the drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL; 10 g/liter) in public supply wells are distributed across the country, but 3/4 of these wells are in the western United States (2). In basin-fill aquifers in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona (1), and Utah (3), 10% of the domestic wells tested had As in excess of the MCL.…”

“…A rsenic (As) is one of the most frequently detected contaminants in private domestic wells used for household drinking water (1) and public water supplies (2). In the United States, As concentrations in excess of the drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL; 10 g/liter) in public supply wells are distributed across the country, but 3/4 of these wells are in the western United States (2).…”

Characterization of a fluvial aquifer at a range of depths and scales: the Triassic St Bees Sandstone Formation, Cumbria, UK

“…Assessment of groundwater behavior at such depths is important in geoscience since depth of well screens for water abstraction is typically < 100 m below ground level (BGL) in the major European and American industrial cities (De Simone 2008;Tellam and Barker 2006;Toccalino et al 2010;Worthington et al 2016), whereas depth intervals associated with nuclear waste repositories are typically 200-1,100 m BGL (Martin and Christiansson 2009;Min et al 2004;Tsang et al 2012;Voss and Andersson 1993). Thus, the proposed characterization allows investigation of the role of a range of geological discontinuities (e.g., stratabound joints and faults) which potentially establish hydraulic connection between a nuclear waste repository and aquifers exploited for civil use (Tsang et al 2016).…”