Drinking Water and Source Water Research
Featured: Pesticide Transformation Products in Small U.S. Streams
Pesticide transformation products are ubiquitous in small U.S. streams, reports a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey, which play a critical role in maintaining the quality and supply of our drinking water.
Learn MoreUpdated Information on Groundwater Quality From Public-Supply Wells
Three new USGS fact sheets update information on groundwater quality in the nation's most heavily used aquifers. Fact sheets are now available for the Edwards-Trinity aquifer system, the Stream Valley aquifers, and the Colorado Plateau aquifers.
Learn MoreScience Center Objects
Reliable drinking water is vital for the health and safety of all Americans. The USGS works with drinking water facilities and municipal suppliers to monitor and assess the quality of the water used as a source for our nation's drinking water needs.
BACKGROUND
One of the central missions of the USGS is to monitor the natural resources we rely on every day, and one of the most important natural resources monitored is water. As humans, we need water to live, especially clean water. But where does the water we rely on come from? How long can we use it to meet our drinking water needs?
DRINKING WATER IN THE UNITED STATES
Nearly 270 million people rely on public water supply every year1. That means over 85 percent of the United States population depends on municipal water suppliers to provide clean water to their homes and businesses. The source of that water typically is surface water from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs, or groundwater, which is treated before delivery to consumers. The remaining U.S. population relies on private groundwater wells to meet their household needs. The USGS cooperates with drinking water facilities and municipal suppliers to confirm that the source water they use meets its intended purposes, whether those purposes are domestic, commercial, or industrial. The USGS does not regulate or directly monitor water treatment operations, nor does it enforce water-quality standards. But the USGS works with drinking water facilities and municipal suppliers to assess the quality and quantity of the source water they use, whether it comes from a lake, river, reservoir, or groundwater.
RELATED USGS RESEARCH
- Water quality of public supply wells
- Factors affecting the vulnerability of public supply wells to contamination
- Water quality of domestic (private) wells
- Health-based screening levels (HBSLs) for drinking water
- Arsenic and drinking water
- Estimating toxin concentrations from harmful algal blooms in Ohio recreational and source waters
- Harmful algal blooms and drinking water in Oregon
- Groundwater viruses in Minnesota drinking water wells
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency