Frequently Asked Questions About Source Water
|
| Download Free Water On Tap Booklet (pdf file 2.8 mg) |
What are the threats to source water?
Many contaminants might be present in source water before it's treated, including the following:
- . Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which can come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
- . Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can occur naturally or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
- . Pesticides and herbicides, which can come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
- . Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.
- . Radioactive contaminants, which can occur naturally or as the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Two publically available resources that may describe potential or actual threats to your water supply are source water assessments and consumer confidence reports. First, your water supply and state drinking water program should have an assessment of the source water protection area from which it draws water which identifies potential threats. This assessment includes:
- . Description of the source water protection area
- . Inventory of potential types of contamination, and
- . Evaluation of how susceptible the water system is to being contaminated by the activities or land uses in the inventory.
Community water supplies also provide reports, sometimes called consumer confidence reports or water quality reports, that explain where your drinking water comes from and what contaminants might be in it. These reports also tell consumers what contaminants have been detected in their drinking water and how these detection levels compare to drinking water. Contact your water supplier to get a copy of your report.
For more information see EPA's Ground Water & Drinking Water Section:
- "What contaminants may be found in drinking water?" and,
"What are the health effects of contaminants in drinking water?"
This information is adapted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Source Water Protection Web site found at http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/sourcewater/.
The SMART Program and Workshop are sponsored in part by:
 |
 |
 |
 |