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Ground‐Water Contamination and Well Construction in Southeast Nebraska
Author(s) -
Exner Mary E.,
Spalding Roy F.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1985.tb02776.x
Subject(s) - contamination , groundwater , alachlor , fecal coliform , nitrate , water well , atrazine , environmental science , maximum contaminant level , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental chemistry , zoology , chemistry , water quality , pesticide , geology , biology , agronomy , ecology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
Nitrate‐nitrogen (NO 3 ‐N) concentrations and total (TC) and fecal coliform (FC) densities were determined in ground water from 268 household and stock wells in an 1100 mi 2 area of southeast Nebraska. Seventy‐one percent of the samples had NO 3 ‐N concentrations above 10 mg/1 and/or TC densities ≥ 1/100 ml. Most of the NO 3 ‐N contamination is from the dissolution of manure in barnyards and corrals. The average δ 15 N value was + 11.9% 0 for the 115 samples with NO 3 ‐N levels in excess of 8.5 mg/1. Only 10% of the wells met Nebraska's criteria for private well construction. NO 3 ‐N levels exceeded 10 mg/1 in 4% of these wells while 30% contained one or more TC/100 ml. The highest incidence of NO 3 ‐N and coliform contamination occurred in dug or augered wells with open‐jointed casing. The rates were 47% and 80%, respectively. Low levels of atrazine were detected only in the poorly constructed wells. One well contained alachlor.