Fast Facts About YOUR Groundwater
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Ø Nearly all of the Barrington Area Residents rely SOLELY on shallow and deep groundwater wells.
Ø Nationally, groundwater is the largest source of usable water storage in the US. Underground aquifers that store water have far more water than ALL reservoirs, lakes – even the Great Lakes!
Ø We’re ALL drawing water from the SAME source – Water Quality and consistent supply are of critical economic and environmental importance to the BACOG governments & residents.
Ø Low cost water quality testing is recommended for all private well owners on a regularly scheduled basis.
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Groundwater Quality is a TOP Concern
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Our local economy, ecology, and aspects of social life rely on a clean, steady groundwater supply. That means we need to keep our recharge areas protected, and implement certain measures to assure businesses and industries in the area take basic precautions against contaminating the drinking water supply.
Land Use and planning for open space in the Barrington Area is one of the things that makes our area unique not only to the Chicago area, but also in the state. Open space, groundwater supply, and stewardship of the environmental resources of this area are important factors that add to quality of life in the Barrington Area.
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One of the most important products of the BACOG Water Resource Initiative project is the groundwater recharge area map. BACOG used the model to determine where water is entering the earth to replenish your drinking water.
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The relative time of travel was used to classify recharge characteristics into five groups, depending on how quickly water can move from the surface to the first aquifer:
Ø Dark red areas are “critical” recharge areas that allow water to readily replenish the aquifers. Keep in mind that they are also areas that may permit the flow of contaminants into the aquifers.
Ø Lighter red areas are “important” and “moderate” recharge areas.
Ø Grayish shaded areas are areas that have “poor” to “very poor” recharge characteristics and prevent the rapid transfer of water to underlying aquifers.
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