< return to the Groundwater Contamination menu

How Does Groundwater Contamination Happen?
Groundwater contamination can have a variety of deleterious effects on a person’s health, such as contracting diseases such as dysentery or hepatitis, poisoning from various toxins that may have leached into water supplies, and increased even cancer risks from certain synthetic compounds. In fact, even using contaminated groundwater to irrigate crops can result in poisoned food, as demonstrated in India, where people became sick after eating food grown in water exposed to heavy metals from a nearby distillery. Given that groundwater is the main source of potable water for many people, it is crucial to understand the various ways in which groundwater contamination may occur.

There are many potential sources of groundwater contamination, in both urban and areas. Storage tanks for oil, gasoline, and other liquid chemicals are one common source of contamination; in the United States alone there is estimated to be 10 million storage tanks buried underground, some of which are quite old. As these tanks age, they corrode, and the chemicals inside can leak out and contaminate the water table nearby. Septic tanks and systems in both urban and rural areas, if improperly built or maintained, can infect groundwater with dangerous bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Septic systems are used to carry waste away from buildings and into storage areas, and some estimates state that up to 1% of all groundwater in the United States have been contaminated by faulty septic systems.

Hazardous waste sites are normally located somewhat farther from human habitations, but they are normally used to store highly dangerous or even radioactive materials, so their effects on groundwater can be far-reaching. Although most sites are well-regulated, an estimated 20,000 hazardous waste sites in the United States are abandoned or undercontrolled, meaning that, over time, the storage tanks holding these highly toxic compounds could corrode and seep into water without anyone becoming aware of it until the negative effects on people are seen.

Dumps and landfills, while necessary to control solid waste in all areas, are an inevitable source of groundwater contamination. Most landfills have a protective bottom layer to prevent waste from spilling out into groundwater, but older landfills may not even have a layer, and a cracked layer can allow corrosive or hazardous compounds such as battery acid, paint, or cleaning products to leak into groundwater, and some government estimates state that 0.1-0.4% of total usable water in the United States are already contaminated by faulty or nonexistent landfill linings.

Runoff from chemicals such as pesticides used on private and public lands, and road salts applied to icy roads can be another way groundwater contamination happens. At least 32 states were found to have toxic levels of pesticides in their groundwater according to United States Government surveys. Road salts are generally poisonous, and during periods of heavy icing can be raised from normal levels of 2-3 mg/L to over 100 mg/L in urban areas, drastically increasing the risk of contamination.

Approximately 5-10 million people around the world become sick from conditions related to contaminated water, and the facts show that Americans are not immune to the problem of chemicals and pathogens in our groundwater. If you feel that you suffer from a condition caused by contaminated groundwater, contact our law firm for a free groundwater contamination case evaluation.