For more than 40 years the American Water Works Association and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week – a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together in recognizing the vital role water plays in our daily lives. Drinking Water Week is celebrated the first full week in May each year. Please join AWWA as we celebrate drinking water! This year the theme is “Protect the Source”
In 1996 Congress passed the Safe Water Act Amendments requiring States to develop a Source Water Assessment and Protection Program. This assessment provides the technical basis for future protection measures as it applies our drinking water resources. DEQ believes that preventing contamination is the key to keeping Wyoming’s drinking water supplies safe. Once a drinking water supply becomes contaminated, a Public Water System is faced with the difficult and costly task of upgrading water treatment facilities or locating an alternative water supply.
The primary groundwater source for Torrington’s wells is the alluvial aquifer within the North Platte River valley. This shallow aquifer is generally recharged through the direct infiltration of precipitation and stream flow from the Platte River. In the assessment, the City scores high for land use susceptibility by being surrounded by intense agricultural practices and industrial facilities, having numerous underground tanks scattered throughout the City, and is downstream from a rather large oil tank farm and loading facility. The transportation corridor scores high due to the proximity of state highways, railroads, and pipelines to the water source areas.
Knowing what kinds of contamination may exist, allows the City to prevent or minimize contamination of the water supply. Public Water Systems can develop and implement effective source water protection or wellhead protection plans to protect the source water into the future by developing emergency response plans and new water supply development plans. The City and County planning efforts will benefit from having the information provided by the assessment reports.
Communities, citizen groups, and individuals can take an active role in protecting their drinking water sources from contamination.
Don’t dump hazardous waste on the ground, down the drain or down the storm drain. It can contaminate the soil, which could also contaminate the ground water or nearby surface water. A number of products used at home contain hazardous or toxic substances that can contaminate ground or surface waters, including: Motor oil, pesticides, leftover paint or paint cans, mothballs, flea collars, household cleaners and a number of medicines.
Don’t overuse pesticides or fertilizers. Many fertilizers and pesticides contain hazardous chemicals. These can travel through the soil and contaminate ground water. If you feel you must use these chemicals, please remember to use them in moderation.
Although the City of Torrington treats its drinking water to meet health-based standards, treatment is expensive and may not address every kind of contaminant that could be introduced to the source. By taking steps to avoid contamination of the areas surrounding a well field, our community can help reduce the costs of its water and better ensure a safe and high-quality supply of drinking water.
