GROUNDWATER PROTECTION
BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
I. INTRODUCTION
Almost half of the population of the United States receives its
drinking water from underground sources, or groundwater. It is
also a major source for irrigation, industrial processes, and
livestock watering. Half of the residents of Illinois depend on
groundwater for their drinking water. Groundwater comprises most
of the small fraction of the earth’s water that is in a form
usable by humans. For these reasons it is extremely imperative
that these water supplies be adequately protected.
For centuries, people have disposed of liquid waste into the subsurface
environment. Harmful substances placed on the land surface or
buried underground can seep through and contaminate groundwater
supplying public and private drinking water wells. Substances
which have the potential to harm water quality include: industrial
wastes, landfilling leachate, agricultural chemicals, septic system
effluent, oil and gasoline, animal wastes, acid-mine drainage,
oil-fieldbrine wastes, road salts, hazardous wastes, and lawn
and household chemicals.
State and local governments shoulder the responsibility to protect
Illinois’ groundwater resources. State efforts to protect
groundwater are spread out among numerous agencies and complex
laws. Recognizing the need to unify the State’s groundwater
protection program, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois
Groundwater Protection Act (IGPA) 415 /ILCS 55/1 et. seq (1992)
in 1987. The intent of the IGPA is to protect Illinois’ groundwater
reserves as a natural and public resource, establish new policies
and coordinate existing programs. Two existing statutes, The Environmental
Protection Act 415 ILCS 5/1 et. seq. (1992) and the Illinois Water
Well Construction Code 415 ILCS 30/3 (1992), were amended to assign
additional duties to existing regulatory agencies.
State responsibilities include: research and education; establishing
minimum setback zones for public and private water supply wells;
conducting hazard reviews for smaller communities upon request;
conducting contaminant source inventories for all public water
supply wells; establishing technical requirements for certain
activities which could contaminate wells; establishing comprehensive
groundwater quality standards; implementing priority groundwater
protection planning regions; and providing for the establishment
of regulated recharge areas.
Local government authority to protect groundwater includes: adopting
maximum setback zone ordinances; conducting groundwater protection
needs assessments; participating in the establishment of priority
groundwater planning regions and regulated recharge areas; and
adopting setbacks as a zoning overlay district.
The threat of groundwater pollution can be significantly reduced
by utilizing the best management practices available at the regional
and local level. To increase water supply protection, local governments
have various powers available. These include subdivision ordinances,
site plan reviews, design standards, operating standards, source
prohibitions, purchase of property or development rights, public
education, groundwater monitoring, household hazardous waste collection,
and water conservation programs. With the technical support of
state agencies, local government can use its powers and local
presence to complement the work of the Illinois Environment Protection
Agency (IEPA), Pollution Control Board (PCB), and Illinois Department
of Public Health (IDPH).
An important aspect of the IGPA is to protect groundwater by controlling
contaminating land uses near wells and groundwater recharge areas.
Although the state regulates both new wells and contaminating
land uses, local government has an important role in assisting
in the implementation of the Act. It is in a community’s
self-interest to be aware of wells and potential contamination
sources. Communities may also increase the water supply protection
by initiating their own regulation procedures.
The primary purpose of this document is to provide information
to local governments on how to help implement the IGPA. It explains
the major causes of groundwater contamination, clarifies the application
of the IGPA and other existing groundwater legislation to local
governments, and outlines ways in which local Illinois governments
can help to protect their groundwater quality.
For your free copy of this document, contact the Illinois EPA
Groundwater Section (MC#3) at 1021 North Grand Avenue East, Springfield,
IL. 62794-9276 or call 217/785-4787.
