March 9-15 is ‘National Groundwater Awareness Week’

MAT-SU — The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Drinking Water Protection group is encouraging Alaskans to do their part in helping protect underground sources of drinking water in observance of National Groundwater Awareness Week, March 9-15.

In Alaska, about 80 percent of people rely all or in part on drinking water wells that draw water from underground sources. Education and awareness is an important part of protecting our underground sources of drinking water.

Here are some links to online resources about drinking water protection:

• The DEC Drinking Water Program oversees public water system wells in Alaska — visit dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/index.htm.

• In collaboration with stakeholders that work in the water industry in Alaska, the DEC Drinking Water Protection group has recently published a web page that has useful information regarding private drinking water wells and systems in Alaska — visit dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/DWP/DWP_PrivateWells.html.

• The Environmental Protection Agency also has tools available for citizens, private water system well owners, students, and parents — visit water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/awarenessweek.cfm.

• The National Groundwater Association has useful information describing groundwater and ways to do your part in protecting groundwater sources of drinking water — visit ngwa.org/events-education/awareness/pages/default.aspx.

Local DEC drinking water protection resources include:

• Chris Miller, supervisory environmental protection specialist, (907) 269-7549, chris.miller@alaska.gov.

• Charley Palmer, hydrologist, (907) 269-0292, charley.palmer@alaska.gov.

• Rebecca Baril, environmental protection specialist, 376-1849, rebecca.baril@alaska.gov.

• Anchorage office toll-free (from within Alaska only) (866) 956-7656.

• DEC Drinking Water Protection: dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/DWP/DWP_main.html.

• DEC Drinking Water Protection Areas Web Map: dec.alaska.gov/das/GIS/apps.htm.