Our nation's dependence on this valuable resource is obvious. The use of ground water for drinking water is increasing at a significant rate in most western states. The tremendous growth in the Rocky Mountain States during the 1990's has largely been supported by the increased use of ground water for drinking supplies. Most, if not all, surface water supplies in the western states are already appropriated for use, and therefore the new growth is relying largely on ground water for drinking water supply. The rural west depends almost entirely on ground water for drinking water.
Ground water is used for agricultural, domestic, industrial, and commercial purposes.
Ground water provides water for drinking and bathing, irrigation of crop lands, livestock watering, mining, industrial and commercial uses, and thermoelectric cooling applications. Return to top of page Ground Water Contaminant Sources Ground water may be adversely impacted by a variety of potential contaminant sources. The list was not considered comprehensive and States added sources as was necessary based on state-specific concerns. For each of the indicated contaminant sources, states were also asked to identify the contaminants impacting ground water quality. The major sources of contamination in EPA Region 8, more specifically the four reporting states, are presented as an aggregate in Figure 1.