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. 

A GPP identifies these activities at a facility and defines the best management practices (BMPs) used to protect groundwater.  The aboveground storage tanks shown demonstrate the use of secondary containment as a BMP for groundwater protection.

Activities that Require a Groundwater Protection Plan

• Pesticide storage and handling for commercial purposes.
  
• Pesticide application for commercial purposes, maintenance of public rights of way or institutional lawn care.
  
• Land treatment or land disposal of a pollutant.
  
• Storage, treatment, disposal or handling of a waste.
  
• Commercial or industrial storing or related handling in bulk quantities of raw materials, intermediate substances or products, finished products, substances held for recycling, or other pollutants held in tanks, drums or other containers or piles.
  
• Transmission in pipelines of raw materials, finished products or other pollutants.
  
• Installation or operation of on-site sewage disposal systems.
  
• Storing or related handling of road oil, dust suppressants or de-icing agents at a central location.
  
• Application or related handling of road oils, dust suppressants or de-icing materials.
  
• Mining and associated activities.
  
• Installation, construction, operation or abandonment of wells, boreholes or core holes.
  
• Collection or disposal of pollutants in an industrial or commercial facility through the use of floor drains that are not connected to on-site sewage disposal systems, closed-loop collection or recovery systems, or a waste treatment system permitted under the Kentucky Pollution Discharge Elimination System.
  
• Impoundment or containment of pollutants in surface impoundments, lagoons, pits or ditches.
  
• Commercial or industrial transfer, including loading and unloading, in bulk quantities of raw materials, intermediate substances or products, finished products, substances held for recycling or other pollutants.

For guidance concerning how to develop a groundwater protection plan, download Preparing a Groundwater Protection Plan.

The Division of Water has developed several guidances and fact sheets available to download at your convenience:

• Generic GPPs
• "Mini" Groundwater Protection Plan Guidances
• Pollution Prevention Fact Sheets 

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