Have you noticed a new street sign with a water droplet and the words “Drinking Water Protection Area” around Indianapolis lately? Or maybe you noticed one that had been around for years was suddenly gone. These signs designate that the surrounding area is a Drinking Water Protection Area. Periodically these areas change shape and the signs are moved or replaced. You may see similar signs in other counties across the state as well.
What is a Drinking Water Protection Area?
The land above and surrounding water wells drilled in the ground is called a “wellfield”. Water collecting on the surface of the wellfield and surrounding area seeps through the ground into an aquifer, an underground water resource. The area where the surface water seeps into the ground and recharges the water wells is called a “Drinking Water Protection Area”. Water in these wells is pumped to a water treatment plant and delivered to homes and businesses.
Water utilities may place these signs in their drinking water protection areas to alert individuals and businesses to stay alert when handling chemicals or potential chemical contaminants.
What are the special considerations for people or businesses in a Drinking Water Protection Area?
For many years we believed our underground water sources were protected from contamination simply because they are underground. We now know that this is not completely true.
People living and working in wellfields need to be especially careful to keep contaminants off the ground where they can seep into the underground drinking water supply. Our water treatment plants will identify and clean contaminated water, but it is costly.
Individuals can take preventative measures such as using less yard chemicals, disposing of household chemicals at free ToxDrops events, or refueling at stations outside of drinking water protection areas.
Businesses located in Drinking Water Protection Areas are required to follow local ordinances which include emergency response and spill plans, keeping chemicals labeled and having appropriate secondary contaminant, and using overfill alarms, to name a few.
If you are a business located in a Drinking Water Protection Area in Marion County, Indiana, contact us for more information about a free, confidential drinking water protection assessment and see if you may be eligible for free spill containment supplies.
Everyone working together can protect our drinking water. Groundwater is our drinking water…let’s protect it!
