About 115 million people, more than one-third of the U.S. population, rely on groundwater for drinking water. As the U.S. population grows, the need for high-quality drinking-water supplies becomes even more urgent. About 43 million people in the U.S. rely on groundwater from private wells. 1 of every 5 groundwater samples from parts of aquifers used for drinking water contained a contaminant from geologic or manmade sources at a level exceeding a potential human-health concern. 6,600 wells were sampled for this study. 1.3 million chemical analyses performed for this study.
Through the WaterSMART initiative and the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, the U.S. Geological Survey is working to secure sustainable water supplies of sufficient quantity and quality and to identify measures needed to address climate change and future demands. The integrated work that USGS is doing to map groundwater availability, groundwater quality, and the potential for contamination will give us the information we need to understand natural and human effects on groundwater and to take the actions needed to protect this vital natural resource. The recently completed national summary report of the quality of the U.S. groundwater is now available online.
Nine associated reports (USGS circulars) detail regional-scale assessments of groundwater quality in about 30 of the most heavily used principal aquifers across the United States. See: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/pubs/prin_aq/150306.pdf
Original working URL: https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/groundwater-quality-principal-aquifers-nation-1991-2010?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
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