When contaminants in groundwater exceed the levels deemed safe for the use of a specific aquifer use the ground-water is considered polluted. There are three major sources of groundwater pollution. These include natural sources, waste disposal activities, and spills, leaks, and nonpoint source activities such as agricultural management practices.

All groundwater naturally contains some dissolved salts or minerals. These salts and minerals may be leached from the soil and from the aquifer materials themselves and can result in water that poses problems for human consumption, is considered polluted, or does not meet the secondary standards for water quality. Natural minerals or salts that may result in polluted ground water include chloride, nitrate, fluoride, iron and sulfate.

There are currently no feasible methods for the large-scale disposal of waste that do not have the potential for serious pollution of the environment, and there are a number of...