Environmental consulting firms provide a variety of services that allow for investigations into groundwater sources. They can provide an analysis of the water quality and identify potential pollutants in the water.
According to recent studies, a quarter of all rainfall in the United States becomes groundwater, which provides flows for the many streams, rivers, creeks, and lakes. The number of people that depend on ground wells for their water supply is growing as more and more people are constructing wells.
There are roughly 500,000 new residential wells constructed each year in the United States. These require an understanding of the water quality in the area. This is where an environmental investigation of the ground water is essential.
A majority of the estuaries and bays in the United States are several damaged and polluted due to nitrogen and phosphorous. According to recent water quality reports, 45% of all the streams, 47% of the lakes, and 32% of the bays are actively polluted and have degraded water quality.
One of the primary culprits is pesticides. There are 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides used in the United States each year. Eventually, all of those chemicals make their way into the rivers and lakes, where they pollute the water, the ground, and kill off plants and wildlife.
While there is a lot home owners can do to eliminate their use of toxic and polluting chemicals and pesticides, the majority of the pesticides are coming from run-off from farm lands. In most cases, agricultural businesses are exempt from regulations regarding pesticide usage.
There are over 73 different kinds of pesticides that can be found in the groundwater, and can subsequently end up in the drinking water if it is not properly filtered and tested. When contaminates get into the surface water, it eventually makes its way into the ground water.
When digging a well, you are tapping right into the groundwater directly with no filtering. That is why it is important to filter the water before drinking as well as getting an investigation done to have a clear understanding of what is in the water.