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Where Does My Drinking Water Come From?
Are you one of those people that believes your drinking water comes from Lake Michigan? In Michigan, 95% of all drinking water comes from groundwater. Therefore, it is important to keep this water clean.
Groundwater is water trapped in the pore spaces between soil particles. At a certain depth below ground, pore spaces become saturated with water. This water is not the flowing underground streams sometimes seen down south, in fact, groundwater moves between 0.1-5.0 feet per day.
If groundwater moves so slowly, why do people make such a big deal about groundwater contamination, obviously it’s not moving very fast? Think about this, what if your neighbor dumped paint thinner in his yard? How far away is your well or your municipalities well? How long do you think it will take for the paint thinner to reach your well? Wells pull water in from all directions and increase the rate of groundwater flow, (thus increasing the rate at which contaminates move). Also, most lakes and streams are fed by groundwater. Therefore, what seeps in the ground by your house will eventually end up in the lake, stream or well down the road.
To make matters worse, beneath the soil in Michigan there is bedrock. Some places in southwest Michigan have only three feet of soil between them and bedrock. Therefore. once the groundwater is contaminated, there will be no place to get clean water. Remember, most streams and lakes are fed by groundwater, eventually, these too will become contaminated. It is much cheaper to protect our groundwater now, then it is to try and clean it up later, if it’s even possible. Clean up methods to rid goundwater of contaminates can cost millions of dollars per well. Often times, multiple wells are needed to contain and treat an area of contaminated groundwater.
It is important to understand how you may be affecting groundwater by your everyday practices, especially if you are a lakeside homeowner! This summer the MSU Extension Master Gardeners, Van Buren County Soil and Water Conservation District together with the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship program will offer Home*A*Syst evaluations for county residents. Home*A*Syst is a confidential program that evaluates many of your household activities and the potential effect on groundwater and surface water. Topics covered include: site assessment, managing household trash, stormwater management, yard and garden care, liquid fuels, septic systems and many more. Please contact Beth Clawson at the MSU Extension office, 657-7745, if you are interested in participating in this program.
