Map showing principal aquifers (PAs) and wells that were sampled as part of a Nationwide assessment of the quality of groundwater used for public supply.
Ken Belitz
Kenneth Belitz is a Research Hydrologist Emeritus with the Earth Systems Processes Division of the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
As a USGS scientist, Ken has simultaneously conducted hydrogeologic research and provided leadership for scientific teams addressing practical problems. His current focus is the development of a three-dimensional digital representation of the subsurface of the United States, otherwise known as the National Extent Hydrogeologic Framework. The framework will be used in support of Integrated Water Availability Assessments.
Ken has previously led two large USGS groundwater assessment efforts: He was the lead scientist and manager of the Groundwater Ambient and Monitoring Assessment (GAMA) Program, designed to assess the quality of California’s groundwater; and he was the Chief for Groundwater Assessments for the 3rd decade of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Together, these efforts represent ~$150 million of data collection and scientific interpretation. The GAMA and NAWQA groundwater teams published ~230 USGS reports and journal articles, and the findings have been widely covered in both the print and broadcast media.
Ken is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and was the 2023 Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer. In 2024, Ken was the recipient of the Department of the Interior Meritorious Service Award. His papers have more than 10,000 citations.
Science and Products
New Study Shows High Potential for Groundwater to be Corrosive in One-Half of U.S. States
A recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of more than 20,000 wells nationwide indicates that groundwater in 25 States and the District of Columbia has a high potential for being naturally corrosive. The States with the largest percentage of wells with potentially corrosive groundwater are located primarily in the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Northwest.
Groundwater Quality Research
Every day, millions of gallons of groundwater are pumped to supply drinking water for about 140 million people, almost one-half of the Nation’s population. Learn about the quality and availability of groundwater for drinking, where and why groundwater quality is degraded, and where groundwater quality is changing.
Corrosivity
Corrosivity describes how aggressive water is at corroding pipes and fixtures. Corrosive water can cause lead and copper in pipes to leach into drinking water and can eventually cause leaks in plumbing. Surface water and groundwater, both sources of drinking water, can potentially be corrosive.
Public Supply Wells
Are you among the more than 100 million people in the U.S. who relies on a public-supply well for your drinking water? Although the quality of finished drinking water from public water systems is regulated by the EPA, long-term protection and management of the raw groundwater tapped by public-supply wells requires an understanding of the occurrence of contaminants in this invisible, vital resource...
All about corrosivity
A U.S. Geological Survey assessment of more than 20,000 wells nationwide shows that untreated groundwater in 25 states has a high prevalence of being potentially corrosive. The states with the largest percentage of wells with potentially corrosive groundwater are located primarily in the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Northwest. These FAQs were written in conjunction with that study. In...
Principal aquifers and wells assessed in nationwide NAWQA/GAMA groundwater quality study
Map showing principal aquifers (PAs) and wells that were sampled as part of a Nationwide assessment of the quality of groundwater used for public supply.
Population potentially affected by groundwater contaminants - Graph
Graph of population potentially affected by groundwater contaminants (Belitz and others, 2022). Geogenic constituents affected a larger population compared to anthropogenic constituents.
Graph of population potentially affected by groundwater contaminants (Belitz and others, 2022). Geogenic constituents affected a larger population compared to anthropogenic constituents.
Science and Products
New Study Shows High Potential for Groundwater to be Corrosive in One-Half of U.S. States
A recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of more than 20,000 wells nationwide indicates that groundwater in 25 States and the District of Columbia has a high potential for being naturally corrosive. The States with the largest percentage of wells with potentially corrosive groundwater are located primarily in the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Northwest.
Groundwater Quality Research
Every day, millions of gallons of groundwater are pumped to supply drinking water for about 140 million people, almost one-half of the Nation’s population. Learn about the quality and availability of groundwater for drinking, where and why groundwater quality is degraded, and where groundwater quality is changing.
Corrosivity
Corrosivity describes how aggressive water is at corroding pipes and fixtures. Corrosive water can cause lead and copper in pipes to leach into drinking water and can eventually cause leaks in plumbing. Surface water and groundwater, both sources of drinking water, can potentially be corrosive.
Public Supply Wells
Are you among the more than 100 million people in the U.S. who relies on a public-supply well for your drinking water? Although the quality of finished drinking water from public water systems is regulated by the EPA, long-term protection and management of the raw groundwater tapped by public-supply wells requires an understanding of the occurrence of contaminants in this invisible, vital resource...
All about corrosivity
A U.S. Geological Survey assessment of more than 20,000 wells nationwide shows that untreated groundwater in 25 states has a high prevalence of being potentially corrosive. The states with the largest percentage of wells with potentially corrosive groundwater are located primarily in the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Northwest. These FAQs were written in conjunction with that study. In...
Principal aquifers and wells assessed in nationwide NAWQA/GAMA groundwater quality study
Map showing principal aquifers (PAs) and wells that were sampled as part of a Nationwide assessment of the quality of groundwater used for public supply.
Map showing principal aquifers (PAs) and wells that were sampled as part of a Nationwide assessment of the quality of groundwater used for public supply.
Population potentially affected by groundwater contaminants - Graph
Graph of population potentially affected by groundwater contaminants (Belitz and others, 2022). Geogenic constituents affected a larger population compared to anthropogenic constituents.
Graph of population potentially affected by groundwater contaminants (Belitz and others, 2022). Geogenic constituents affected a larger population compared to anthropogenic constituents.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government