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P A N U P S
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Pesticide Action Network
North America
Updates Service
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April 24, 1995
Report Documents Pesticide Contamination in Washington State
Groundwater
A recent study of groundwater contamination in Washington
State found that at least 176 wells in the state have been
contaminated with pesticides including the banned chemicals
DDT, 1,2-dichloropropane and EDB, as well as others that are
still registered for use in the U.S., such as atrazine, 2,4-D
and DCPA. The report, "The State of Our Groundwater," which
documents approximately 2,700 wells and other sites
contaminated since 1985, states that while levels of
contamination are generally low and the majority of wells
contain no contaminants, enough exceptions exist to cause
concern.
"The State of Our Groundwater" report is a joint project of
the Washington Toxics Coalition and Washington State
University, and is the first statewide survey of pesticide
pollution of groundwater. It is based on records of the
Washington State Department of Ecology, the Washington State
Department of Health (DOH), the U.S. Geological Survey and
several local studies of groundwater pollution by a variety
of chemicals. While the authors stress that the "overall
picture of groundwater quality in Washington is not a cause
for alarm," the report uncovers serious flaws in the
groundwater monitoring system and piecemeal approach to
groundwater protection. In addition to pesticides, the report
analyzes nitrates, petroleum products, other organics, metals
and trace elements found in the state's groundwater.
Although the State Department of Health is in the process of
testing a sample of 1,400 drinking water wells, currently,
only 636 sites have been examined for agrochemicals. Much of
the state remains untested, and where testing has occurred,
the number of compounds detectable by the tests is frequently
limited.
Pesticide contamination is defined in the report as "any
detectable level." Although this means that wells are listed
as contaminated when concentrations are below, as well as
above, drinking water standards, the resulting maps show
areas potentially vulnerable to groundwater degradation. This
is especially important in Washington, where nearly two-
thirds of the state's population rely on groundwater as the
primary source of drinking water. The authors hope the state
will take protective measures in vulnerable areas before
pollution reaches hazardous levels.
"The State of Our Groundwater" identifies methods for
industry, agriculture and households to help prevent
contamination. In the case of agriculture, recommended
methods rely on a whole-system approach:
-- use cultural and biological pest management practices in
place of pesticides;
-- give high priority to research on integrated pest
management (IPM) to help reduce reliance on pesticides;
-- choose pesticides that are less persistent and bind more
tightly to soil, not leaching into groundwater;
-- avoid high-risk activities near wellheads, such as
applying pesticides or fertilizers;
-- maintain organic matter levels in soils by using cover
crops and crop rotations;
-- reduce the risk of leaching by avoiding pesticide and
fertilizer applications when heavy rainfall is predicted, and
avoiding heavy irrigation after applications;
-- emphasize use of organic sources of nitrogen, such as
manure, and apply only as much as crops need at proper times
for plant growth;
-- ensure that new wells are properly constructed, and that
abandoned wells are capped.
Source: The State of Our Groundwater: A Report on Documented
Chemical Contamination in Washington, July 1994.
Contacts: Washington Toxics Coalition, 4516 University Way
N.E., Seattle, WA 98105; phone (206) 632-1545; fax (206) 632-
8661; email wtc@igc.apc.org.
Bulletins Office, Cooperative Extension, Washington State
University, Cooper Publications Building, Washington State
University, Pullman, WA 99164-5912; phone (509) 335-2857; fax
(509) 335-3006.
Copies of the report may be ordered for US$12.50.
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