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Find Out More
To find out more about your watershed and its ground water visit "Surf Your Watershed" at www.epa.gov/surf. Also look at the "Index of Watershed Indicators" at www.epa.gov/iwi. These websites can also tell you possible sources of problems. Companies with permits to release their wastewaters in your area are listed. You can see if they meet pollution control laws. You can also learn how your watershed compares to others in the country.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and EPA support a program to help farmers, ranchers and rural homeowners. Called Farm*A*Syst or Home*A*Syst, it helps identify and solve environmental problems, including protecting drinking water. Obtain a copy of the Home*A*Syst questionnaire/checklist that can help you find possible threats to your water supply from:
National
Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Program
303 Hiram Smith Hall
1545
Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Ph: 608.262.0024, Fax:
608.265.2775
homeasys@uwex.edu
For more information on current and net future federal drinking water standards and for general information on drinking water topics and issues, contact the EPA at www.epa.gov/safewater or at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of
Ground Water and Drinking Water
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Or call:
The Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800) 426-4791
The hotline operates from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (EST) The hotline can be
accessed on the Internet at www.epa.gov/safewater/drinklink.html
You can get a list of Federal drinking water standards from the EPA website. In addition, the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water gives chemical and health risk information for a number of drinking water problems through its Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791. This information is also on the internet at www.epa.gov/safewater. If you do not have a computer, most public libraries offer internet access. Even though federal standards do not apply to household wells, you can use them as a guide to potential problems in your water. Be aware that many states have their own drinking water standards. Some are stricter than the federal rules. To get your state standards, contact your state drinking water program or local health department.
Other sources of information include:
Ground Water Protection Council
www.gwpc.org
American Water Works Association
www.awwa.org
National Rural Water Association
www.nrwa.org
National Drinking Water
Clearinghouse
www.nesc.wvu.edu/ndwc/ndwc_index.htm
Rural Community Assistance
Program
www.rcap.org
U.S. Geological Survey
water.usgs.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Natural
Resources Conservation Service
www.nrcs.usda.gov
Water Systems Council
www.watersystemscouncil.org
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