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Manuals and Guides: Environment

Protecting Your Groundwater
Educating for Action

Reprinted with permission from the League of Women Voters Education Fund. Copyright © 1994. Order from the League of Women Voters of the United States, 1730 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, 202-429-1965. Pub. #980: $6.95 ($5.95 for members) plus shipping and handling. Quantity prices upon request.

Manual Index

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Researching and Developing information
Chapter 3: Development and Distribution of Materials
Chapter 4: Public Meetings, Forums and Workshops
Chapter 5: Publicity
Chapter 6: Fundraising
Chapter 7: Keeping It Going

Case Study 1: Well Survey Builds Commitment to Groundwater
Case Study 2: "Training the Trainers" Keeps Protection Efforts Moving
Case Study 3: Video Illuminates Major Groundwater Issues in County
Case Study 4: Building Coalitions Across County Lines

Appendix A: League Community Groundwater Education Projects
Appendix B: Sources of Groundwater Contamination
Appendix C: Data Collection Form: General Roles/Duties/Authorities
Appendix D: Data Collection Form: Local/State/Federal Management Status
Appendix E: Resources

Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Researching and Developing information
Chapter 3: Development and Distribution of Materials

Acknowledgments

Protect Your Groundwater: Educating for Action was written by Christine Mueller, groundwater project manager, with assistance from Lucilla Tan, research assistant, and was edited by Monica Sullivan. The project was directed by Elizabeth Kraft.

The LWVEF wishes to thank the League of Women Voters grassroots project managers and other volunteers for their tireless and inspiring work on behalf of groundwater protection, the project's advisory committee for reviewing the draft manuscript and providing advice and support over the course of this project, and Cindy Sanford and Joe Oosterhout, for helping to launch the project as groundwater project manager and research assistant. Protect your Groundwater is part of the LWVEF's community groundwater education project, funded under a cooperative agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.

LWVEF Chair: Becky Cain
Project Trustee: Carole Wagner Vallianos
Executive Director: Gracia Hillman
Director: Sherry Rockey
Manager of Natural Resources Programs: Elizabeth Kraft
Publications Director: Monica Sullivan

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Introduction

Many of us—half the U.S. population and 95 percent of the people living in rural areas—rely on groundwater for our drinking water supply. Is it safe? If it is, how can we keep it that way? In the past, we believed that groundwater was protected from contamination by virtue of its underground location and the ability of soil to filter and chemically alter some contaminants. Only in the last couple of decades have we learned that groundwater is vulnerable to contamination. Dwindling supplies also are a problem in some areas. Although some federal and state laws include groundwater protection measures, protecting groundwater has primarily been left to local governments.

Once groundwater is contaminated, cleanup may be technologically or economically impossible, forcing an affected community to locate a new source of water. Even in cases where cleanup is technologically feasible, it is never cheap, and restoring acceptable water quality may take years. With each new report of tainted groundwater and with increasing understanding of the threats, citizens are mobilizing to protect their groundwater. Once groundwater is contaminated, decisions affecting its management are largely left to the scientists, engineers and technicians—the experts—who will decide whether water quality can be restored. Prevention is where individual citizens and citizens groups can act positively—rather than simply react—to make a critical difference in their communities.

League Community Education Projects

In 1991, the League of Women Voters Education Fund launched a national education project on groundwater. Working with 18 state and local Leagues around the country, the LWVEF created a variety of citizen education models for groundwater protection. Drawing on the experiences of those 18 Leagues, this publication outlines step-by-step the process for developing a groundwater education program in your community.

As with any type of prevention program, groundwater protection does not simply "occur," even with the passage of a zoning ordinance or adoption of a wellhead protection program (see Wellhead Protection Programs). It is an ongoing challenge. While the project period for the 18 Leagues cited here was one year, most of the Leagues had been working to protect water resources before this period, and all of them continued their work beyond the year time frame. The final chapter of this guide suggests some ideas to maintain interest and involvement within an organization and the community for groundwater protection.

What is Groundwater and What's the Problem?

Groundwater is water held in the pore spaces of soil and in cracks and crevices of rock within the "saturated zone," an area beneath the land surface in which all pore spaces are filled with water. The top of the saturated zone is called the "water table" (Figure 1 - not shown on-line). Surface waters such as lakes and streams mark the intersection of groundwater with the land surface. As with surface waters, groundwater is replenished in the continuous circulation of water and water vapor known as the hydrologic cycle (Figure 2 - not shown on-line).

Aquifers are beds of sediments, such as sand or gravel, or formations of rock, such as fractured shale, that hold significant amounts of underground water and are permeable enough to allow it to flow. They are replenished, or "recharged," in the hydrologic cycle by rainfall or surface waters traveling through the ground to the aquifer. The "recharge area" includes any land through which water is transmitted to the aquifer. "Discharge areas," where groundwater leaves an aquifer, may include springs, streams, lakes, seeps and water wells. (For more information on the basics of groundwater, please refer to Groundwater: A Citizen's Guide, and other publications listed in the Resources section.)

Groundwater resources are vulnerable to contamination from surface and subsurface activities in the recharge area. Risk of contamination comes from a number of sources including:

• agricultural sources, such as pesticides, fertilizers and livestock wastes.
• Leaking septic systems,
• leaking underground and aboveground storage tanks,
• improperly stored salt piles,
• improper disposal of chemicals like dry cleaning, photo processing and automotive fluids,
• municipal solid waste and hazardous waste landfills,
• chemical spills,
• illicit dumping of industrial chemicals and wastes,
• cyanide leaching ponds used in mining operations,
• acid mine drainage and chemical treatment residue from mining,
• industrial storage ponds for toxic liquids,
• injection wells for industrial waste disposal.

And, contamination is not the only threat. Groundwater supplies can be depleted by mismanagement and overuse. Paving over the aquifer recharge area, a common occurrence in areas undergoing development, threatens water supplies by interrupting the means of replenishing the aquifer. Overpumping, also known as groundwater mining, is the removal of more water than is being replaced regularly through the hydrologic cycle. Over time, overpumping can deplete an aquifer to the point where the supply is no longer sufficient or the cost of pumping becomes too high. In coastal areas, as fresh water is removed from an aquifer through overpumping, the pressure of adjacent sea water causes the sea water to move into the pores, cracks and crevices of the aquifer, in a process known as salt water intrusion. Salt water intrusion has tainted groundwater supplies on both coasts of the United States. Overpumping also can lead to land subsidence (sinking).

Some types of aquifers are more vulnerable to contamination than others. For example, "unconfined aquifers" have no layer of impermeable rock or clay overlying and protecting the aquifer. Toxins that spill or leek onto the ground are likely to reach this type of aquifer. And if the material that overlies the aquifer is highly permeable, such as sandy soil, contaminants can reach the aquifer quickly. "Confined aquifers" are protected from activities directly overhead by an impermeable layer of clay or rock, but they are still vulnerable to contamination at the recharge area, which may be miles away. A truly confined aquifer is rare, however, because there are usually cracks and holes in the impermeable protective layer through which contaminants can leak. "Karst" aquifers are composed of limestone riddled with holes, channels and caverns that have been eroded over the ages by water. Water—and contaminants—travel quickly through karst aquifers, and virtually no filtrating action takes place. Any kind of aquifer is vulnerable to contamination from poorly constructed and abandoned wells.

 

Wellhead Protection Programs Under the 1986 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, states are directed to develop strategies for protecting wellheads—the areas surrounding wells that supply public drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides technical assistance in designing programs to protect wellhead areas, but states are responsible for determining the extent of the areas to be protected and for specifying the management responsibilities of state and local government and water systems in protecting wells. As of October 1993, 31 states and territories had EPA approved wellhead protection plans. Wellhead protection programs involve determining the area around the well where surface or subsurface activities could impact water quality, conducting an inventory of current uses of the area and potential or actual threats to the supply, and restricting or forbidding activities that would jeopardize groundwater quality. Volunteers can provide valuable assistance in conducting wellhead contaminant source inventory surveys (see Wellhead Survey, Chapter 2) and in public education and outreach.

The federal role in groundwater protection

A patchwork of more than 15 major federal statutes offers some protection to groundwater resources. Chief among these are the Clean Water Act (CWA) as amended in 1987, the Safe Drinking water Act (SDWA) as amended in 1987n and Recovery Act (RCRA). the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

In general, these federal laws protect groundwater only indirectly. The two water laws, for example, provide safeguards for surface and drinking water supplies, while RCRA regulates waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities. CERCLA provides funds to clean up contaminated hazardous wastes sites and FIFRA regulates toxic chemicals that can contaminate groundwater. The 1986 amendments of the SDWA direct states to develop wellhead protection plans—strategies to protect areas around public wells to keep pollutants from reaching the aquifer and contaminating public water supplies (see Wellhead Protection Programs) Additional and more specific provisions to protect groundwater may be included when the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act are reauthorized. In 1993, Congress began the process of reauthorizing both laws; final action is expected to take several years.

The state role

As noted, states are required to develop a state wellhead protection program under the 1986 Amendments to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Many states also regulate to some degree the use of agricultural chemicals and underground storage tanks. Beyond that, states have taken several different approaches to groundwater management. Actions include setting standards—that is, establishing maximum contaminant levels above which a body of water is considered contaminated, and classifying groundwater by use, with stricter standards set for a water supply used for drinking water than a water supply used exclusively for industrial processes, for example. Some states have established land use management guidelines that help to safeguard drinking water supplies and some have established funds to help local jurisdictions implement groundwater protection programs.

For now, a local issue

As a rule, however, the responsibility of protecting groundwater has fallen largely to local jurisdictions. Unfortunately, measures to protect groundwater, such as land use zoning, almost always are controversial. Restricting certain types of activity to protect groundwater often involves balancing long-term—and often less tangible—benefits (a protected water source, for example) against short-term benefits provided by certain types of land use that may enjoy popular support in the community and contribute to the community's tax base, but threaten the water supply. Public officials may be reluctant to take politically risky steps to protect groundwater. Voters may reject long-term protection measures that limit current or future land use. In any case, local officials and citizens should be informed about their water resources, about possible actions to protect them, and about the potential consequences of failing to act. Until people understand that their health and the health of their children is at risk and push for protection measures, local politicians likely will be reluctant to adopt measures to protect groundwater supplies. Citizen groups, such as the League of Women Voters, play a key role in water protection when they raise awareness of groundwater risks in their communities.

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Chapter One: Getting Started

On the other hand, if local residents are acutely aware of their water source, it may be due to some crisis or controversy—perhaps a chemical spill has threatened the aquifer, for example, or a zoning decision has sparked heated debate. In these circumstances a groundwater education project can help clear the air and allow a reasoned discussion of relevant facts and issues. In any case, public education is an important first step toward the development of a protection plan that will adequately address local conditions and enlist the support of the community.

When initiating a groundwater education program in your community, careful planning and the development of clear goals are essential to success. Organizing a project entails a number of steps.

Identifying and Framing the Issues

What are the important groundwater issues that you want to emphasize—threats to quality, threats to quantity, or both? Frame the issues to respond to citizens' concerns. Published opinion polls and letters to the editor in the local newspaper may provide insight into current concerns about groundwater issues. Or you may find it helpful to make your own assessment by conducting a knowledge/opinion survey (see Chapter 2). Be open to different perspectives and needs of different groups within your community. Consider whether certain aspects of the issue are particularly controversial—such as disputes over water allocation or zoning issues. You need to be particularly sensitive to such issues as you design your project.

Setting Goals

Project goals should be realistic and measurable. Set both short-term and long-term objectives.

• What do you hope to accomplish?
• Who are you trying to reach?
• How can you have the greatest impact?
• How will you measure success?

For example, a short-term goal may be to inform residents of current threats to groundwater in your area; a long-term goal may be the implementation of a wellhead projection plan for the region or zoning to protect the recharge area.

Working with Other Organizations

Safe and plentiful water is important to the entire community. Seek out other organizations to work with you. You may even discover others are already working on groundwater protection or planning a project. Working in coalition with other groups provides strength in numbers, helps avoid duplication of effort, and provides a broader perspective than a single organization can provide. To be politically persuasive and reach the broadest audience, it is important to build a coalition that is as racially, ethnically, socially and economically diverse as possible. Also work with businesses such as the real estate community and the local water utility.

Getting Organized

Decide whether the lead role will be taken by a project manager or a committee. Either way, be sure that one person is responsible for overall coordination of the various tasks and responsibilities. Set up task-oriented subcommittees. Establish clear lines of responsibility and agree on divisions of labor. Be sure that subcommittees report often to the project coordinator or committee to avoid duplication of effort or working at cross-purposes.

In organizing its groundwater project, the LWV of Rockford, Illinois established subcommittees to focus on video production, media, developing a speakers bureau, and researching potential groundwater protection plans to implement in the county.

Choosing a Format

A groundwater education project lends itself to a range of possible formats, including discussion meetings, workshops, conferences, media campaigns, audiovisual presentations, "go-see" trips, speakers bureaus, publications, and radio or television talk show presentations. What you choose depends a lot on your audience, time, resources and goals. In evaluating various formats, consider:

• How much time is required?
• How much will it cost?
• How much "person power" do you have to commit to the project?
• How many people do you want to reach?
• Who is the audience and what is the knowledge and experience level of that audience?
• What level of commitment do you desire from your audience?

Setting Up a Budget

• Include adequate funds for such items as publicity, duplicating, mailing and a "miscellaneous" category for emergencies.
• Look for types of support other than money. In-kind contributions, for such things as meeting rooms, speakers and materials, can help stretch your project dollars. (See Chapter 6 for fundraising ideas.)
• Carefully account for all income and expenses. This is critical for keeping tight control over the project and reporting to donors and supporters.
• Keep accurate and complete records. Your budget, with both projected and actual expenses, also can be useful for developing future projects.

Being Persistent

Tangible results may not come as quickly as you hope or expect. Over time, however, your message can make a difference in moving your community to consider and implement protection measures.

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Chapter 2: Researching & Developing Information

Existing information on local groundwater may be buried in the town archives or the files of various agencies, from the local public health department to the US Geological Survey. Such information seldom exists in a format that is easily accessible to the public. A community education project can advance public understanding by gathering and synthesizing new or existing information into handy, understandable formats. (See Gathering Community Groundwater Information: Questions to Ask. Also refer to Appendices B, C and D as you gather local data.)

Knowledge Survey

A knowledge survey is designed to determine how much residents already know and what they care about most concerning their water supply. Such a survey can:

• identify misconceptions/myths about where groundwater comes from and how it can become contaminated,
• demonstrate a community need for information on local water resources,
• help target your efforts for the most impact and benefit,
• attract attention and support for your project,
• encourage local officials who participate in the survey to become better informed,
• assist public agencies in targeting their public education programs.

A typical survey asks residents:

• where their drinking water originates (surface water or groundwater),
• what they consider to be the most serious health risks to drinking water.
• to compare the vulnerability of their water supply to other places. (See Sample Water Supply Survey for Rockford, Illinois)

Your survey results will be more meaningful if you make sure to reach a broad spectrum of the community. Potential sites to conduct a water supply survey include shopping malls, town squares, ball games and county fairs. Remember to provide a factsheet. Having sparked participants' interest, sustain it by giving them the facts. Conducting a follow-up survey at the project's conclusion will help you measure the impact of your education project.

 

The Rockford, Illinois League developed a knowledge survey that was subsequently adapted and used by a number of other Leagues. Rockford, located in Winnebago County, is a community that depends entirely on groundwater, and the county's water supply was rated by the state environmental protection agency as the most threatened in the state. Nevertheless, 43 percent of those surveyed did not know where their water came from (more than half of those who get their water from the water department did not know), and only 33 percent knew that Winnebago County is more prone to water problems than other counties in the state. One in seven (14 percent) believed that the ground filters all contaminants as water percolates down to the aquifer. Armed with the survey results, the League was able to enlist the help of a local television station in producing a video on local water issues. After the video was produced and shown throughout the area, the League returned to the four shopping malls where the survey had been conducted to do a follow-up survey using the same questionnaire. The second survey, conducted 12 months later, indicated a statistically significant increase in the level of understanding about regional water issues.

Gathering Community Groundwater Information
Questions to Ask

Following are some basic questions to help frame your community investigation of groundwater use, contamination and protection.

The Groundwater Resource:

1. What area do the aquifers in your community cover? What jurisdictions do they cross?
2. Which aquifers are used for drinking water? What geological characteristics affect their permeability?
3. Where are the critical recharge zones? How is the land used above them?
4. Are significant quantities of groundwater used for purposes other than drinking water (e.g., agricultural, industrial, domestic uses)?
5. How does groundwater connect with surface water?

1. Do citizens receive their drinking water from a public water system?
2. What is the source of the supply (river, lake, aquifer)?
3. If the primary water supply system is contaminated or depleted, are alternative water supplies available?
4. How many citizens (or what percent of the total population) rely on this public water system?
5. How many citizens rely on private wells for their drinking water? What percent of the total population is this?
6. Does the public sewer system discharge to surface water or groundwater?
7. Do a significant portion of the residents rely on septic tank systems for waste water discharge?

1. What is the present quality of groundwater (both groundwater used for drinking and other groundwater)?
2. Which aquifers are vulnerable to contamination?
3. Do groundwater contamination sites exist in the community?
4. What activities pose threats to the community's groundwater? (Refer to Sources of Groundwater Contamination, Appendix B.)

1. Does the state have a groundwater protection policy, law or regulation program? Does it have an EPA approved Wellhead Protection Program?
2. Have local governments adopted regulations, ordinances, policies or management procedures to protect groundwater? Are wellhead protection plans being developed?

In organizing its groundwater project, the LWV of Rockford, Illinois established subcommittees to focus on video production, media, developing a speakers bureau, and researching potential groundwater protection plans to implement in the county.

Sample Water Supply Survey from Rockford, Illinois

2. Does this water originate from:
a. Surface water (rivers, lakes) b. Groundwater (wells) c. Both d. Don't know

3-4. Do you regularly use:
3. Bottled water for drinking?
a. Yes b. No

4. a water purifier (other than a water softener)?
a. Yes b. No c. Don't know

5-10. If you regularly use bottled water or a water purifier, why do you do so? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)
5. Safer, better for my health
6. Tastes better
7. Odor free
8. Free of chemicals/contaminants
9. Don't know
10. Other (specify):

11. What do you consider to be the most serious health risks in drinking water?
a. Fluoride b. Bacteria/viruses c. Lead d. Radionuclides e. Toxic chemicals f. Don't know g. Other (specify):

12. Compared to other places, is Winnebago county more or less vulnerable to contamination of its groundwater?
a. More b. Less c. About the same d. Don't know

13. Are you aware of any specific places in Winnebago county that are known to have groundwater problems?

14-20. What do you think are the most common causes of groundwater pollution? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)
14. Leaking underground tanks
15. Chemical spills
16. Inadequate septic systems
17. Poorly designed waste disposal systems
18. Agricultural chemicals
19. Use and disposal of household and yard wastes
20. Other (please specify):

PLEASE INDICATE WHETHER YOU BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS TO BE TRUE OR FALSE.
21. If a well becomes contaminated, a new well dug deeper will produce good water.
a. True b. False c. Don't know

22. If a well becomes contaminated, a new well dug nearby will produce good water.
a. True b. False c. Don't know

23. The ground filters all contaminants as water percolates down.
a. True b. False c. Don't know

24. If tests show contaminated water in your well, banks or savings and loans generally will not give you a mortgage or loan to build a home there.
a. True b. False c. Don't know

25. The cost of water locally is expected to increase greatly in the future due to contamination of the water supply.
a. True b. False c. Don't know

26. What is your age group?
a. 18-29 b. 30-44 c. 45-64 d. 65+

27. If you would like to help in local groundwater protection activities through P.O.W.E.R. please give us your name:

Name: ________________________
Address: ______________________
Telephone: _____________________

(A factsheet that includes the answers for 2 and 11-26 should be provided.)

Wellhead Survey

Wellhead protection involves safeguarding the area around a public water well to prevent possible contaminants from reaching the water drawn into the well. The area to be protected must first be identified, through a process that may involve using a computer model or simply drawing a circle with a fixed radius around each well. The size of the necessary protection area depends on a number of factors, including the region's hydrogeology. Some states specify the method(s) to be used for delineating the protection area. Once the wellhead protection area has been identified, it must be surveyed to identify sources of possible threats to the water supply. Trained volunteers, working in cooperation with the public agency or agencies responsible for wellhead protection, can provide valuable assistance in conducting a wellhead survey. In addition to actual field investigations, the survey may entail door-to-door interviews, researching local tax records and planning department records and studying contemporary and historical aerial photographs.

The LWV of Enid, Oklahoma organized a group of "water watchers" to conduct field surveys of one of the city's five water well fields. (Another well field was being surveyed by the city under a grant from EPA. ) The League recruited volunteers and a local expert as trainer, conducted a training session, and provided maps and forms necessary to complete the task. The project produced important information for the city, such as the location of septic fields and fuel tanks, abandoned homesites, an old cistern, and well houses that were in poor condition and not secured. It also engendered a sense of stewardship of groundwater resources in this cadre of volunteers. When a new oil and gas deposit was discovered in the vicinity of the water well field not long after the survey was completed, one of the water watchers testified at the permit hearings. She demanded—and secured—unprecedented drilling safeguards.

The Retired Senior Voluntyeer Program (RSVP) has produced an excellent reference, How-To Manual for Ground Water Protection Projects, which provides detailed information on how to conduct a wellhead survey with volunteers. The manual is based on RSVP s wellhead protection project in El Paso, Texas (see Resources section).

Chapter 3: Development and Distribution of Materials

Printed Materials

• Provide information that is specific to your area. This will be of greatest interest and will help make the issue real for your audience.

• Pay attention to visual appeal. The goal is to encourage people to read the information, after all.

• Include information on what people can do, such as joining a local groundwater coalition, attending a follow-up meeting, disposing of household hazardous wastes properly (with lists of collection sites in the community), or altering agricultural or industrial practices to safeguard water resources.

• Provide information on where to have water tested or list where such services can be found in the phone book.

• Advise prospective home buyers to have their site inspected by an appropriate agency before they contract to buy a home or land.

• Distribute materials to public agencies, including public health departments, real estate boards and water authorities and to local and county elected officials. Also send materials to local water purveyors, real estate agents, homeowners associations, chambers of commerce, environmental groups and public libraries. Ask them to keep your brochures on their counters for public distribution. Bulletin boards at libraries, schools and stores are good places to display posters and flyers. And distributing brochures or flyers at your group's meetings or speaking engagements is a good way to reinforce your message and extend your audience.

Sample of League projects

These League projects illustrate some of the possibilities:

The LWV of the Lewisburg Area, Pennsylvania produced three single-page folded brochures: "Home Wells and Septic Systems," "Protecting Your Community's Well-Water" and "Where Does Your Well Water Come From?" Each brochure contains information specific to the area. For example, "Where Does Your Well-Water Come From" shows a valley and ridge cross-section illustration, describes the regional geology along the cross-section and outlines the implications of geological variations on water quality in different parts of the area (Figure 5—not shown on-line). The pamphlets were distributed at sites throughout the county, including public libraries, restaurants and the organic food store. The Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension Service and the Union County Planning Department also distributed the pamphlets.

The LWVs of San Antonio and San Marcos, Texas together produced a four page informational brochure as a self-mailer, which also served as a forum announcement and agenda (see Figure 8—not shown online). It was sent to 3,000 people, including all area chambers of commerce, real estate boards and associations, environmental groups, county, city and suburb officials of five counties, homeowners associations, journalists and talk show hosts, earth science and public policy faculty and students of area high schools and colleges, and the staffs of more than 100 water purveyors in the area.

The LWV of Oregon, faced with a tense "development versus protection" controversy, produced a 20-page booklet on the North Florence Dunal Aquifer System. The booklet discusses how the aquifer was formed, where it is located and how it stores water and contaminants. It also describes the Clear Lake watershed, outlines who provides drinking water in the area, and describes what some of the contaminant problems are and what steps have been taken to protect the aquifer. The publication summarizes the relevant "Facts" and "Issues" and includes a diagram of "Who's in charge." The League mailed the publication to every postal patron in the town of Florence before an important meeting between the two sides in the controversy.

The LWV of Cape May County, New Jersey produced a two-sided flyer showing a map of the New Jersey Coastal Plain, a block diagram of the hydrologic cycle that includes the fresh water-salt water interface (helpful in understanding the concept of salt water intrusion), and a map indicating the three regions of the county that depend on different types of aquifers. Text explains the graphics and provides additional information. Cape May City, which faces a serious water supply shortage, has distributed the flyer to every household. The county health department is distributing the flyer, along with another project flyer on septic systems and underground storage tanks, to residents with private wells and septic systems.

The LWV of Briarcliff, Ossining, Croton and Cortlandt, New York produced brochures on household hazardous products, listing auto maintenance and yard maintenance dos and don'ts and suggestions of less toxic alternatives to some commonly used household products. Each of the five towns in the region got its own "personalized" brochure, with a history of the town's water system on the first page. The remaining three pages were the same. The League also produced a reference guide to domestic wells and several other brochures. The brochures were made available to audiences at all of the League's groundwater presentations.

Those who suggest groundwater issues lack drama (no one we know) should see the brochure and poster produced by the Athens County, Ohio League "Groundwater: Don't Lose It!" brochures describe what groundwater is, the dependence of rural Athens County residents on groundwater, some of the activities that can threaten groundwater quality and steps individuals can take to protect it. The brochure also lists telephone numbers of city, county and state agencies to call to report water pollution.

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Manual Index

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Researching and Developing information
Chapter 3: Development and Distribution of Materials
Chapter 4: Public Meetings, Forums and Workshops
Chapter 5: Publicity
Chapter 6: Fundraising
Chapter 7: Keeping It Going

Case Study 1: Well Survey Builds Commitment to Groundwater
Case Study 2: "Training the Trainers" Keeps Protection Efforts Moving
Case Study 3: Video Illuminates Major Groundwater Issues in County
Case Study 4: Building Coalitions Across County Lines

Appendix A: League Community Groundwater Education Projects
Appendix B: Sources of Groundwater Contamination
Appendix C: Data Collection Form: General Roles/Duties/Authorities
Appendix D: Data Collection Form: Local/State/Federal Management Status
Appendix E: Resources