Over 50% of the United States population depends on groundwater for drinking water. Groundwater is also one of our most important sources of water for irrigation. Unfortunately, groundwater is susceptible to pollutants and since water is essential for life and we need it to survive, it’s important to know if it’s safe to use. City water and village water for the most part all comply with a safety standard but for some that are on well water such is not the case. Some common ground-water quality concerns are excessive hardness (high dissolved magnesium and calcium content), a high concentration of salt or iron, or the presence of hydrogen sulfide (sulfur), or even methane gas, petroleum or organic compounds, or bacteria. Groundwater contamination occurs when man-made products such as gasoline, oil, and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it to become unsafe and unfit for human use. That is why it is imperative that all the necessary steps are taken when a hazardous spill occurs, to avoid leakage into nearby streams, watersheds, and seepage into underground aquifers. Our personnel work in conjunction with the customer and the governing regulatory agencies to ensure that a cleanup is performed to a customer’s satisfaction while in accordance with all appropriate regulations and guidelines. All this to ensure the safety of local watersheds and to try and avoid contaminating drinking water. Drinking contaminated groundwater can have serious health effects and other long-term effects such as certain types of cancer may also result from exposure to polluted water. Often county health departments do water tests for bacteria and nitrates. If you want to test your water, your county health department should be able to provide a list of area state-certified drinking water testing labs for you to call.