Contaminated Groundwater Initiative

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

In 2013, Wake County initiated a program of outreach, testing, and technical services to proactively address consumption of contaminated groundwater from private wells. The County has over 30,000 private drinking wells and more than 2,500 known contamination sites. Media coverage of contaminated drinking wells had highlighted gaps in the federal and state approach. By working internally with Geographic Information Services (GIS), Planning, and Information Services, and externally with the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the NC Geological Survey, Wake County has developed an improved system of tracking identified contaminated sites and gaining online access to key data for quick and more accurate decision-making. Targeted outreach materials for populations near known contamination sites have been developed and used. Broadly accessible information on well testing and maintenance, designed for communities dependent on private wells, has been created in coordination with our Health Department counterparts. Although the program is new, it has already led to more effectively responding to citizen needs in two contamination incidents. The initiative has raised awareness of well contamination prevention and Wake County’s resources to assist citizens.