Adams County Regional Water District’s drinking water is pumped out of the ground by wells located near the Ohio River, east of Manchester, OH.  This ground water is pumped to the water treatment plant where chlorine is added to kill harmful bacteria in it.  From there, it is pumped through an underground network of pipes to Adams County homes and businesses.

Where does the ground water come from?  All ground water originally comes from rain or melted snow that has seeped into the ground.  Water fills spaces between sand and gravel, as well as fractures in rocks.  Where underground water is abundant enough to provide an adequate source of drinking water, the water-rich sediments or rocks are called an aquifer.  Adams County Water District’s drinking water supply comes from a portion of the Ohio River sand and gravel aquifer.

Ground water does not stay in one place.  The ground water supplying the district’s wells seeps very slowly from east to west (the same direction as flow in the Ohio River).  This means that if pollutants are spilled on the ground anywhere near the wells, or east of the wells, the pollutants may eventually enter the ground water that you are drinking.  Although the water treatment plant removes bacteria, it would be very expensive to purchase treatment systems for every type of

possible pollutant.  This is why Adams County residents should know about Drinking Water Source Protection. 

What is Drinking Water Source Protection? 

 Drinking Water Source Protection is a plan of action for protecting the water you drink from contamination at the source.

To assist the Adams County Regional Water District with our drinking water source protection efforts, Ohio EPA provided the district with a Drinking Water Source Assessment report.  This report included a map of the protection area (see above), based on calculations of how far water travels through the aquifer in five years.  The report also includes information on land uses and facilities that may pose a contamination risk to the drinking water source.  Potential risks are based on proximity to the drinking water source and the kinds/quantities of chemicals that are typically handled by these types of facilities.