Education: Water Contaminant Sources

It can be contaminated by natural or human causes. Some deep aquifers contain water which has naturally high concentrations of salts and other dissolved solids. On the other hand, much of our ground water is quite good, but can be threatened by human sources of contamination.

Below are some of the common sources of water pollution.

Water Contaminant Sources
Agricultural
Animal burial areas Animal feedlots Fertilizer storage/use	Irrigation sites Manure spreading areas/pits Pesticide storage/use
Commercial
Airports Auto repair shops Boatyards Construction areas Car washes Cemeteries Dry cleaners Gas stations Golf courses	Jewelry/metal plating Laundromats Medical institutions Paint shops Photography establishments Railroad tracks and yards Research laboratories Scrap and Junkyards Storage tanks
Industrial
Asphalt plants Chemical manufacture/storage Petroleum production/storage electronics manufacture Electroplaters Foundries/metal Machine/metal-working shops	Mining and mine drainage Petroleum pipelines Septage lagoons Sludge storage tanks Toxic and hazardous spills Wells (operating/abandoned) Wood preserving facilities
Residential
Fuel oil Furniture stripping/refinishing Household hazardous products Household lawns	Septic systems, cesspools Sewer lines Swimming pools (chemicals)
Other
Hazardous waste landfills Municipal Incinerators	Recycling/reduction facilities Road deicing operations