Ground water is also used for about half of the nation's agricultural irrigation and nearly a third of industrial water needs.
Ground water is thus a vitally important national resource.
Whether it arrives via a public water supply system or directly from a private well, ground water ultimately provides approximately 35 percent of the drinking water supply for urban areas and 95 percent of the supply for rural areas, quenching the thirst and meeting other household needs. Needless to say, protecting our groundwater is of utmost importance to ensuring a good supply of fresh drinking water especially for those of us who live in rural areas. Ground-water contamination can originate on the surface of the ground, in the ground above the water table, or in the ground below the water table. The following table shows the types of activities that can cause ground-water contamination. Where a contaminant originates is a factor that can affect its actual impact on ground-water quality.