Kane County Shallow Groundwater Quality 2023: A Twenty-Year Retrospective

Cullen , Cecilia; Hadley, Daniel R.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125283 Copy

Description

Title

Kane County Shallow Groundwater Quality 2023: A Twenty-Year Retrospective

Author(s)

• Cullen , Cecilia
• Hadley, Daniel R.

Issue Date

2024-09

Keyword(s)

• Groundwater
• Water quality
• Aquifers
• Kane County
• Shallow aquifer system
• United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Water contaminants
• Salting
• Private wells
• Arsenic
• Chloride
• Public Health

Geographic Coverage

Illinois

Abstract

To understand current groundwater quality in the shallow aquifer system of Kane County, 75 samples were collected from sand and gravel and shallow bedrock wells evenly distributed across each third of the county (east to west). While many results of this study are similar to previous county wide water quality assessments completed in 2003 and 2015, this latest iteration has allowed for new insights into the shallow aquifer system. Arsenic is the most consequential contaminant sampled and detected in this study. The USEPA primary standard is exceeded in 14% of shallow wells sampled. USEPA secondary standards for iron, total dissolved solids, and manganese are more commonly exceeded at 80%, 39%, and 23% of study wells, respectively. Those secondary standards, unlike the primary standard for arsenic, are aesthetic in nature. Nitrate did not exceed the USEPA standard at any wells in this study. Sulfate has been found to be significantly higher in eastern Kane County compared to western Kane County. Previous studies posited this could be sourced from vehicular exhaust (Kelly, 2003), but recent studies indicate that sulfate is most likely naturally sourced from geologic materials (Kelly et al., 2022). This study was particularly interested in current chloride concentrations in the shallow aquifer, largely originating from winter deicers. Chloride is elevated in eastern Kane County compared to the more rural west, but the average rate of increase between 2015 and 2023 is less than that observed between 2003 and 2015. This reduced chloride accumulation rate could represent the impacts of sensible salting practices throughout the county, milder winters since 2015 leading to less use of deicers, sampling location bias, or a combination of those factors. Below are recommendations for Kane County following this updated water quality report: • Conduct outreach efforts to private well owners whose arsenic levels exceed the primary USEPA standard. Finished water should also be tested to ensure their in-home treatment systems are addressing the elevated arsenic concentrations. • Continue support of sensible salting practices that may be contributing to lower accumulation rates of groundwater chloride. • Develop a methodology to track salt purchasing and application on an annual basis at municipal and county levels.

Publisher

Illinois State Water Survey

Series/Report Name or Number

ISWS Contract Report 2024-03

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

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