Groundwater Protection

Many parts of the United States depend on groundwater as a primary source of water. This page includes resources for environmental health practitioners on groundwater protection.

EHS Resources

Acute Gastrointestinal Illness Following a Prolonged Community-Wide Water Emergency – Publication examines the association between water service disruptions and acute gastrointestinal illness.

Drinking Water Advisory Communication Toolbox – Toolbox provides a protocol and practical guide for communicating with stakeholders and the public about water advisories that is based on research and identified practices.

Emergency Water Supply Planning Guide for Hospitals and Health Care Facilities – Guide helps health care facilities regardless of size or patient capacity develop Emergency Water Supply Plans as part of their overall emergency operations plans.

EnvPHPS Logic Model for Drinking Water Programs – Tool with recommended strategies for public health department drinking water programs and activities to improve programmatic performance using the 10 Essential Environmental Public Health Services.

Irrigation Water Issues Potentially Related to Multistate E. coli Outbreak on Spinach – In 2006, a restaurant chain received spinach contaminated with E. coli, which made many people ill. Environmental health investigators traced the spinach back to one farm’s irrigation system.

Onsite Wastewater System Nitrogen Contributions to Groundwater in Coastal North Carolina [PDF - 388 KB] – Article evaluates nitrogen contributions from onsite wastewater systems to groundwater and surface waters in an effort to better understand the link of onsite systems, fate of nitrogen in the environment, and public health.

Water Protection Resources for Environmental Health – Learn how to protect your community’s water resources, including recreational water, private wells, drinking water, and emergency water supply, with our free water resources.

Environmental Health Services Topic Pages

• Drinking Water – resources related to drinking water
• Wastewater – resources related to wastewater

CDC Resources

Drinking Water – CDC’s drinking water website includes topics on public and private water systems, bottled water, and water fluoridation.

• Private Ground Water Wells
• Web-based Training

Water-Related Emergencies & Outbreaks – Information about water-related emergencies and outbreaks, including outbreak response toolkits, disaster supply kits, and emergency preparedness for both water-related natural disasters and man-made disasters such as intentional contamination.

• Disinfecting Wells After a Disaster
• Drinking Water Wells

Other Resources

Private Wells and Human Health – Environmental Protection Agency website provides information on natural and human contaminants as sources of pollution to ground water.

US Geological Survey (USGS)

• Onsite Wastewater Systems – USGS research projects on emerging contaminants.
• USGS Groundwater Data – Links to data about groundwater levels, aquifers, water use, groundwater quality, local groundwater, and other resources for gathering groundwater data.
• USGS Groundwater Watch – Database with records from about 850,000 wells compiled over the past 100 years.

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