Harvesting

This is a dummy content. please edit. The quality of groundwater can affect not only our health, but also society and the economy. Groundwater contamination can adversely affect property values, the image of a community, economic development, and the overall quality of life we all share. Clean water at reasonable cost is essential and in many parts of the country, groundwater is the only economical water source available. Once groundwater has been contaminated, it is usually very difficult and costly to clean. Even small contamination sites often cost many thousands of dollars to cleanup.

A “contaminant” or “pollutant” in water could be any material other than water that is dissolved or mixed into water, but it is usually used to refer to a substance in water that might be harmful or a nuisance. It is important to keep in mind that “the dose makes the poison”. A substance that is neutral or helpful in low amounts or concentrations could be harmful at much higher amounts or concentrations. Also, chemicals vary tremendously in toxicity. Some are never found in high enough concentrations or consumed in large enough amounts to cause harm; others may be toxic even when they are very diluted in water or very rarely consumed. Some substances are acute toxins (cause harm rapidly), and others are chronic toxins (the harm shows up more slowly over time because of the type of chemical and/or the total exposure over time).

Water is an unusually good solvent, which means many different kinds of materials can be dissolved in it. Solid particles and small organisms can also be suspended in water. Except in certain controlled laboratory settings, what we think of as water is never 100% H2O. For example, naturally occurring gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide will dissolve in to the water. Water usually contains some dissolved gases, plus dissolved charged particles (ions) such as sodium, calcium, and iron. The composition of water in natural settings will reflect the rocks and soils through which water has passed, the organisms living in or near the water, and human activities.