Urban and rural communities live above their groundwater resource.
It is important to realise that what we do on the surface may
adversely affect groundwater. Groundwater pollution comes from
two sources: diffuse source pollution and point source pollution.
- Diffuse source pollution is usually due to agriculture, including
grazing, forestry, and intensive farming. Pollutants leach into
groundwater over a wide area. The most important pollutants
from diffuse sources are nitrates, herbicides and pesticides.
Inappropriate land use management is a significant cause of
this pollution.
Point source pollution is usually due to leakage of chemicals
from below ground storage, accidental spills and inappropriate
disposal of waste. Throughout South Australia there are many locations
where point source pollution has occurred. These range from leaking
fuel tanks at service stations, historical gas works sites, to
many industrial sites.
Another negative effect on groundwater is increasing salinity
due to overuse and rising water levels. Inappropriate land use
and irrigation practices can affect groundwater by causing a rise
in the water table, increasing soil salinity and making groundwater
salty. The problems of dryland salinity and increasing salinity
in groundwater is not an area that is managed by the EPA, rather
it is handled by the Department
of Water, Land, Biodiversity and Conservation (DWLBC).
