Assessing ground-water vulnerability to contamination: Providing scientifically defensible information for decision makers

Circular 1224
By: , and 

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Abstract

Throughout the United States increasing demands for safe drinking water and requirements to maintain healthy ecosystems are leading policy makers to ask complex social and scientific questions about how to assess and manage our water resources. This challenge becomes particularly difficult as policy and management objectives require scientific assessments of the potential for ground-water resources to become contaminated from anthropogenic, as well as natural sources of contamination. Assessments of the vulnerability of ground water to contamination range in scope and complexity from simple, qualitative, and relatively inexpensive approaches to rigorous, quantitative, and costly assessments. Tradeoffs must be carefully considered among the competing influences of the cost of an assessment, the scientific defensibility, and the amount of acceptable uncertainty in meeting the objectives of the water-resource decision maker.
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Assessing ground-water vulnerability to contamination: Providing scientifically defensible information for decision makers
Series title Circular
Series number 1224
ISBN 0607890258
DOI 10.3133/cir1224
Year Published 2002
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Contributing office(s) Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description 33 p.
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
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