Water is something we use every day. Take a moment and think about your daily routine and how much of it requires water. Here is mine:
Get up and shower: lots of water there. Go into the kitchen and have some cereal for breakfast: the milk contains water and the fridge uses water as a coolant. Fill up my water bottle: 750 ml there. Drink about 4 of those bottles throughout the day. Eat lunch: apple needed water to grow, bread dough needed water, and so did everything inside the sandwich. Use the bathroom throughout the day: water for the toilet and washing my hands. Eat dinner: again - everything needed water. Start the dishwasher: lots of water there too. Once a week, I also do laundry: LOTS of water. I also go swimming a couple times a week: LOTS and LOTS of water. Undoubtedly, there are more times I use water that I don't remember just now.
First, contamination can still happen when the water is pure as it hits the ground. Rainwater or faucet water can be perfectly fine as it enters the earth. The problems begin once it starts seeping into the ground. Pesticides and other chemicals don't just disappear because they've disappeared from the surface. They leave pieces of themselves in the soil that are soaked up by the water soaking through and taken down into the larger water reservoirs hidden below the surface. Once it's mixed into that water, it can travel and influence the underground water community. Worse still, if that ground water should find its way to a river, it can spread over long distances. The influence can spread for miles, depending on how many chemicals the water brought down through the soil. When the whole area is contaminated, it's hard to bring up fresh water for plant or human use in the future. It will be dirty for a long period of time.
Second, there are a number of point sources of contamination that are building up around the world. A point source is an individual instance of direct contamination to the soil. They can include a damaged and leaking septic or gasoline tank. These tanks are often carrying large amounts of waste or gasoline and can do quite a bit of damage in one area. Another type of point source is a landfill or accidental spill. Left to sit in a pit, the stuff in landfills have a long time to leak their acids and chemicals into the dirt. Even the best preparation can't be stopped forever. On the other end, accidents happen all the time, especially when large companies are transporting, handling, and storing large amounts of chemicals. A simple spill can cause untold amounts of damage. Point sources like these can be dangerous to the environment if they are not properly cared for.
Every task requires someone that has a different level of expertise, even if the two tasks seem similar. Discovering subsurface water flow and engaging in groundwater mapping are only two parts of a very complicated process. You need to put a lot of trained professionals through the ringer to see if they have the right qualifications. Some people might have experience in construction, but it's not what you might need to have your well drilled correctly. If you're paying someone to do the work for you, it's essential that you invest in a person that will do the job to the best of their abilities. The market is so flush with contractors that it's difficult to make heads or tails of them. Through some preliminary interviews, you should have no problem spotting the most qualified candidates.
These are three ways you may not have realized are contaminating the subsurface water. Measures are being taken to prevent contamination as much as possible, but increased awareness can help that movement forward with individual care and responsibility.
Get up and shower: lots of water there. Go into the kitchen and have some cereal for breakfast: the milk contains water and the fridge uses water as a coolant. Fill up my water bottle: 750 ml there. Drink about 4 of those bottles throughout the day. Eat lunch: apple needed water to grow, bread dough needed water, and so did everything inside the sandwich. Use the bathroom throughout the day: water for the toilet and washing my hands. Eat dinner: again - everything needed water. Start the dishwasher: lots of water there too. Once a week, I also do laundry: LOTS of water. I also go swimming a couple times a week: LOTS and LOTS of water. Undoubtedly, there are more times I use water that I don't remember just now.
First, contamination can still happen when the water is pure as it hits the ground. Rainwater or faucet water can be perfectly fine as it enters the earth. The problems begin once it starts seeping into the ground. Pesticides and other chemicals don't just disappear because they've disappeared from the surface. They leave pieces of themselves in the soil that are soaked up by the water soaking through and taken down into the larger water reservoirs hidden below the surface. Once it's mixed into that water, it can travel and influence the underground water community. Worse still, if that ground water should find its way to a river, it can spread over long distances. The influence can spread for miles, depending on how many chemicals the water brought down through the soil. When the whole area is contaminated, it's hard to bring up fresh water for plant or human use in the future. It will be dirty for a long period of time.
Second, there are a number of point sources of contamination that are building up around the world. A point source is an individual instance of direct contamination to the soil. They can include a damaged and leaking septic or gasoline tank. These tanks are often carrying large amounts of waste or gasoline and can do quite a bit of damage in one area. Another type of point source is a landfill or accidental spill. Left to sit in a pit, the stuff in landfills have a long time to leak their acids and chemicals into the dirt. Even the best preparation can't be stopped forever. On the other end, accidents happen all the time, especially when large companies are transporting, handling, and storing large amounts of chemicals. A simple spill can cause untold amounts of damage. Point sources like these can be dangerous to the environment if they are not properly cared for.
Every task requires someone that has a different level of expertise, even if the two tasks seem similar. Discovering subsurface water flow and engaging in groundwater mapping are only two parts of a very complicated process. You need to put a lot of trained professionals through the ringer to see if they have the right qualifications. Some people might have experience in construction, but it's not what you might need to have your well drilled correctly. If you're paying someone to do the work for you, it's essential that you invest in a person that will do the job to the best of their abilities. The market is so flush with contractors that it's difficult to make heads or tails of them. Through some preliminary interviews, you should have no problem spotting the most qualified candidates.
These are three ways you may not have realized are contaminating the subsurface water. Measures are being taken to prevent contamination as much as possible, but increased awareness can help that movement forward with individual care and responsibility.
About the Author:
Willowstick helps you map, track, and monitor Subsurface water, and gives you invaluable insight into hydrogeological conditions. Take guesswork trial and error out of the equation, with accurate and reliable groundwater maps and models.
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