Preventing groundwater pollution is every Kentuckian's concern. The Groundwater Protection Plan regulation 401 KAR 5:037 was promulgated in 1994 by the Division of Water to ensure protection for Kentucky's groundwater resources.

Groundwater recharges water for our streams, lakes, ponds, rivers and wetlands. Even though your community does not use groundwater for drinking water, its activities may pollute drinking water for those who live outside the community. The groundwater underlying the homes in your community may travel great distances, eventually surfacing at a spring or well being used for someone's drinking water.

At least one-half of Kentucky's aquifers occur in karst regions (land areas containing sinkholes, caves, springs, disappearing streams, few or no surface streams). Groundwater in karst areas is highly susceptible to pollution. People living in these regions must be especially careful that their activities do not pollute groundwater. In karst regions, the surface water quickly becomes groundwater when surface runoff flows into sinkholes, a stream disappears underground or water otherwise infiltrates quickly underground.

Groundwater protection can be achieved through education, compliance with the regulatory requirements of the Groundwater Protection Plan Program (401 KAR 5:037) and community planning via the Wellhead Protection Program.

Groundwater Education
Once groundwater is polluted, it is very difficult and expensive to clean up. It is best to prevent groundwater pollution in the first place. The future quality of our groundwater and environment will depend upon well-informed and caring citizens.

Groundwater Protection Plans
Anyone engaged in activities that have the potential to pollute groundwater must develop and implement a Groundwater Protection Plan (GPP) as required in 401 KAR 5:037. 

Wellhead Protection
The 1986 Amendments to Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) required states to develop a wellhead protection program to protect public water supplies using groundwater as their water source. 

For More Information Contact:
Pat Keefe
14 Reilly Road
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 502-564-3410
Fax: 502-564-9899
E-mail: Pat.Keefe@ky.gov