More People Studying Ground-Water Contamination, Geological Survey Says
The nation’s ground water will appear more contaminated in coming years simply because more people are looking for contamination, the U.S. Geological Survey said Friday.
Although evidence is insufficient to show whether contamination is getting worse, ground-water quality is generally good, the agency said.
Ground water provides drinking water for 53% of the U.S. population--97% in rural areas--and accounts for 40% of the flow in the nation’s streams.
Contamination has attracted increasing concern in recent years, and the survey devoted its annual water report for 1986, released Friday, to ground-water quality. Survey spokesman Don Finley said “printing problems” had delayed the report.
All states reported contamination from both natural and human sources.
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