Ground water is one of the most precious natural resources in South Dakota.
Because of the lack of dependable surface water supplies, our rural residents and 83 percent of our public water supply systems rely on ground water for their source of water. It was also determined that once ground water is polluted, it is extremely difficult and expensive to clean up, so prevention, public education and enforcement are necessary to minimize releases of pollutants. To maintain and improve ground water quality for present and future beneficial uses, the state implemented a ground water protection strategy that promotes pollution prevention, the correction of existing ground water pollution, and close control of limited degradation for necessary economic and social development. This statute provides authorization for regulating groundwater discharges through ground water discharge plans and ground water quality standards. If you own or operate a facility that plans to discharge to ground water, you must apply to the secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for an approved ground water discharge plan at least 180 days before any discharge.