What Could Impair Groundwater Quality

The quality of surface and groundwater can be affected by a lot of factors. Water that moves over or under the land surface can go through chemical and physical changes that may result from human activities or natural factors. Because of contaminants, water won’t be safe for human consumption and use. Aside from contaminants, other factors such as runoff, temperature, erosion, decayed organic materials, and others can also impact groundwater quality. This makes it important to have the water analyzed by LCL Environnement.  The firm will consider the hydrogeological context of the area and the kinds of activities that occur nearby when assessing the quality of groundwater. The following are different types of contaminants that can impact the quality of well or groundwater:

Natural Organic Materials and Sediment

Natural organic materials include animal and human waste, as well as plant debris. Sediment refers to particles from soil, organic matter, or rock. Iti s produced when land surfaces erode naturally. Farming, construction, and logging can increase the amount of sediment being transported within streams. The deposit of sediment in streams will restrict navigation. Also, sediment can increase the possibility of floods by reducing reservoir storage and stream-channel capacity.

Nutrients

These nutrients include nitrogen, carbon, potassium, and phosphorus. They are contributed to waters from the atmosphere, lawns, agricultural lands, wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, and golf courses. Nutrients in water can also increase because of wildfires from burned vegetation. Too many nutrients in water can lead to a disproportionate amount of aquatic vegetation, which can be a hindrance to recreation.

Bacteria

Bacteria in water can cause diseases. They can be delivered to surface water and groundwater through leaking septic tanks, sewer overflows, and runoff from animal feedlots of pastures. If water tests show that bacteria are present in water, the body of water may have more dangerous organisms.

Toxic Substances

Some metals, cleaning solvents, and pesticides are toxic substances that can make people sick, kill organisms, and cause genetic disorders. They can enter waters when directly discharged from factories or improperly disposed of in households, farms, and industrial plants. Contaminants from water used by industries include substances produced from acids and alkalis. When to much pesticides are used in factories, the excess can enter water sources. In addition, toxic substances can impact the growth of organisms, metabolism, behavior, and reproduction. This makes it essential to evaluate the environmental dangers of these substances.