Wellhead Protection

Preventing Groundwater Contamination

Above ground pump and piping at a groundwater well.

Why Wellhead Protection?

Marion Utilities obtains water from groundwater wells located in three well fields within the City of Marion and Grant and Wabash Counties. Marion Utilities and representatives from the community established a Wellhead Protection plan to minimize the threat of groundwater contamination.

Contaminants in the groundwater can cause serious health problems, are costly to remove, and may persist for a long time. You can help prevent groundwater contamination by following the general prevention measures below.

What is Marion’s Wellhead Protection Plan?

The Wellhead Protection Plan has 4 components:

1.	Delineation of the Wellhead Protection area—identifying the area that needs to be protected.
2.	Creating a list of Potential Contaminant Sources—facilities that use or store chemicals that could be dangerous to the water supply within the delineated area.
3.	Establishing a Management Plan—the strategy to protect the groundwater from contamination.
4.	Setting up a Contingency Plan—emergency response procedures in the event of possible contamination or a natural disaster.

Example of below ground construction of a groundwater well from A Guide for the Private Well Owner, Santa Clara Valley Water District.

How can I help prevent groundwater contamination?

If you live or work within a wellhead protection area, you can help prevent groundwater contamination by following these general prevention measures:

1.	Properly dispose of harmful materials. Don’t dump them on the ground or put them down the drain.
2.	Minimize the amount of fertilizer and pesticides used on lawns and gardens.
3.	Properly maintain above ground or underground storage tanks.
4.	Check your property for unused or abandoned wells, cisterns or dry wells; then properly abandon them.
5.	Report illegal dumping.

If you are a residential property owner in Grant County, take harmful materials to the Grant County Household Hazardous Waste collection site (call 677-6044 for hours or go to www.eciswd.org).

If you have a septic system, ensure that your septic system is working properly and follow the prevention measures in the EPA Bulletin, “Managing Septic Systems to Prevent Contamination of Drinking Water”.

If you have above ground or underground storage tanks, make sure that they are properly installed and maintained and follow prevention measures in the EPA Bulletins for “Above Ground Storage Tanks” or “Underground Storage Tanks”.

If you are a dry cleaner, beauty shop, photo finisher, vehicle repair shop, printer, nursing home, medical facility, or other small quantity chemical user, follow the prevention measures in the EPA Bulletin “Managing Small Quantity Chemical Use to Prevent Contamination of Drinking Water”.

If you maintain residential yards or gardens, commercial lawns, golf courses, ball fields, cemeteries, or parks, follow the prevention measures in the EPA Bulletins for “Small Scale Pesticide Use” and “Managing Turf grass Fertilizer Application”.

If you are a farmer, follow the prevention measures in the EPA Bulletins for “Managing Large-Scale Application of Pesticides”, “Managing Agricultural Application of Fertilizer”, and “Managing Livestock Waste”.

If you need to plug an abandoned well, more information is available in these “DNR” or “Purdue” well abandonment guidance documents.

Want More Information?

If you would like to view Marion Utilities Wellhead Protection Plan in its entirety, please contact the utility at 664-2391 extension 128. To view the 5-year time of travel wellhead protection area only, click here.

For more information on Wellhead Protection Plans, go to the EPA website or the IDEM website.

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