2014 NGWA Groundwater Summit

May 04 - 07, 2014

Panel: Water Quality is Not Expensive, it is Priceless

Groundwater is the source of drinking water for almost half of the U.S. population. Even where groundwater is plentiful, however, it’s not truly available for use unless the quality is acceptable for that use. In some cases, use of groundwater is limited because of contamination from anthropogenic sources; in others, it is limited because of high concentrations of constituents that occur as a result of natural sources or processes. And in some cases, groundwater quality is impaired as a result of human activities, such as high-volume pumping and irrigation that have altered the hydrologic cycle. There are many costs to society, both literally and figuratively, associated with degraded water quality. This panel will bring together perspectives on some of the causes and costs associated with groundwater quality from a discussion of: • how geology influences our drinking water and human health costs, • how hydrologic factors influence the vulnerability of drinking water to contamination, and • case studies where water quality has limited use because of human health concerns. An audience discussion of the linkages between groundwater quality and its availability and costs will follow the panel presentation.