Does agriculture or industry pose a threat to water quality in South Carolina?
The use of farm fertilizers, pesticides, and animal-waste lagoons has caused some contamination of shallow aquifers, but when agricultural chemicals are used and stored properly, it is rare for them to reach ground water supplies in amounts that cause problems. In many cases of contamination involving wells located near agricultural land, contamination can be traced to spills that occurred during the preparation, mixing, or handling of chemicals before application or from infiltration of rinse water used to clean application equipment or tanks. All chemicals should be stored safely and far from water sources. Industrial areas also contribute pollutants. The most common industrial sources of ground water contamination are landfills, waste lagoons, and leaking underground storage tanks. As we have seen with domestic and agricultural practices, with care and proper handling of potentially harmful materials the risk of contamination can be greatly decreased. How do I get my well water test
