Where Does Your
DRINKING
WATER
Why Wellhead Protection?
COME FROM??
The City of Rice,
Minnesota is
implementing a
WELLHEAD PROTECTION
PLAN
Why Wellhead Protection?
Wellhead Protection is a way to prevent
drinking water from becoming polluted by
managing possible sources of contamination
in the area which supplies water to a public
well. Everyone has an important part to play
in protecting drinking water wells today – and
for the future.
What Can You Do?
Volunteer to serve on work groups &
educational events
Help identify land uses & possible sources of
contamination on your property
Recognize & manage possible sources of
contamination on your property
Use hazardous products as directed & dispose
of them properly
Conserve water
Examples of Source Water Contaminations
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Minnesota Department of Health:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/
water/index.html
Minnesota Rural Water Association:
www.mrwa.com
For More Information Contact:
Mark Sauer, Public Works
City of Rice, Minnesota
320-393-2280
www.cityofrice.com
Proactive Planning
What is Groundwater?
Groundwater is the water that fills the
small spaces between rock particles
(sand, gravel, etc.) or cracks in solid rock.
Rain, melting snow, or surface water
becomes groundwater by seeping into the
ground and filling these spaces. The top
of the water-saturated zones is called the
“water table.”
When water seeps in from the surface
and reaches the water table, it begins
moving towards points where it can
escape, such as wells, rivers, or lakes.
An aquifer is any type of geological
material, such as sand or sandstone,
which can supply water to wells or
springs.
The groundwater,
which supplies a well,
often comes from
within a short distance
(a few miles) of the
well.
How fast groundwater moves depends
on how much the well is pumped and
what type of rock particles or bedrock
it is moving through.
It Takes a Community
Effort to Protect Public
Wells
The residents of the City of Rice, MN rely
on the ground water for their drinking
water supply. The City owns and
operates 3 wells located inside the
corporate limits of the City of Rice. The
wells draw water from a groundwater
aquifer located approximately 90 feet
below the land surface. Groundwater
aquifers are vulnerable to contamination
from human land use activities.
Why do wells sometimes
become polluted?
Wells become polluted when substances
that are harmful to human health get into
the groundwater: city & road runoff,
underground storage or septic tanks,
pesticides & fertilizers – just to name a
few.
Furthermore, most households use or
store some type of hazardous chemicals:
drain cleaners, furniture polish, bleach
compounds, weed killers, paints and
more. Many people commonly dump
their un-used or old household products
down the drain or improperly dispose of
them in the trash.
Wastewater treatment plants, community
and private septic systems all use
biological processes to breakdown
sewage. These chemicals can disrupt
the process for breaking down sewage;
they can destroy the bacteria that make
a septic system work. Damaged septic
systems can require costly repairs, and
worse, contaminate the ground water
used for drinking, bathing & recreational
use that we depend on.
While many of our everyday activities
can cause pollution, much can be done
to prevent pollution, such as wise use of
land and chemicals.
So ~ what do you do with an old can of
half-full paint? How do you dispose of
household cleaning solutions that, for
whatever reason, you never used up?
When the expiration date has passed on
that container of weed killer, how do you
dispose of it?
If your answer is “pour it down the
drain” or “throw it in the trash” – then
you could be contaminating the drinking
water of your family, friends and
neighbors
To get involved with the Wellhead
Protection Plan or to find out how you
can help minimize your impact on both
the environment and the City of Rice’s
drinking water, contact Public Works
(Mark Sauer) at 320-393-2280 .