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Assessing ground-water vulnerability to contamination: Providing scientifically defensible information for decision makers

January 1, 2002

Throughout the United States increasing demands for safe drinking water and requirements to maintain healthy ecosystems are leading policy makers to ask complex social and scientific questions about how to assess and manage our water resources. This challenge becomes particularly difficult as policy and management objectives require scientific assessments of the potential for ground-water resources to become contaminated from anthropogenic, as well as natural sources of contamination. Assessments of the vulnerability of ground water to contamination range in scope and complexity from simple, qualitative, and relatively inexpensive approaches to rigorous, quantitative, and costly assessments. Tradeoffs must be carefully considered among the competing influences of the cost of an assessment, the scientific defensibility, and the amount of acceptable uncertainty in meeting the objectives of the water-resource decision maker.

Publication Year 2002
Title Assessing ground-water vulnerability to contamination: Providing scientifically defensible information for decision makers
DOI 10.3133/cir1224
Authors Michael J. Focazio, Thomas E. Reilly, Michael G. Rupert, Dennis R. Helsel
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Circular
Series Number 1224
Index ID cir1224
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Toxic Substances Hydrology Program