Educating the public

Educating the Public

NOW AVAILABLE: NEW BROCHURE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
CLICK HERE

Ground Water Flow Model Available for Loan

One of the most effective ways to prevent contamination of ground water is through education. For a successful and effective wellhead protection plan, broad-based education of the public should begin with the formation of the team and continue throughout the planning process.

Because many facilities and human activities may contaminate ground water, the community needs to be informed and educated about how they can protect the water supply. Public support is essential for such a program because the public will be asked to change some of their attitudes and practices.

Many people are unaware of the many ways that ground water can become contaminated, and therefore do not necessarily relate human activities that take place on the land's surface to a potential for ground water contamination. In most areas, local land use activities can greatly influence the quality of ground water. Informing and educating the public about the source of their water supply and its vulnerability to contamination is one important aspect of wellhead protection planning.

A Purdue Extension publication on Effective Wellhead Protection Through Education will provide you with more detailed information on various ways to provide community education.

We have put together several educational activities that show how ground water flows and how it can become contaminated. These may be of use to classroom teachers who want to teach children about ground water, but are also valuable for wellhead protection planning teams who want to educate the general public about how to protect their own drinking water.

For more information contact Jane Frankenberger (frankenb@purdue.edu)
or Brent Ladd (laddb@purdue.edu)
or call the Purdue Extension Safe Water office at 765-496-6331

Purdue Equal Opportunity Statement