Geologic Description of The Pocatello Aquifer

Geologic description of the Pocatello Aquifer
The upper layers of the aquifer are the most permeable (water flows through most
easily), and are formed from gravels deposited during and after the catastrophic
Bonneville Flood at the end of the last Ice Age (about 13,000 years ago).
The deeper layers of the aquifer are formed of sediment layers with occasional layers of
basalt lava, and were deposited over the previous 8 million years. Thin layers of clay
and silt in the aquifer form natural barriers against groundwater flow (they form
"impermeable" barriers).
Although the aquifer itself is old the water in it is fairly young. A water molecule resides in the
aquifer for an average of about 40 years. Water that the city does not pump eventually flows into
the Snake River Plain
THE POCATELLO AQUIFER FACTS
• Geographic extent: Portneuf Gap - narrows to Cubbuck

• Surface area: about 350 million square feet (8000 acres)
• Volume of stored water: about 30 billion cubic feet (220 billion gallons/year)
• Natural throughflow (natural volume of water flowing through aquifer): more than 0.7 billion
cubic feet/year (more than 5 billion gallons/year)
• Pumping withdrawal: 0.75 billion cubic feet/year (5.5 billion gallons/year)
• Average residence time (time spent) in aquifer by a water molecule: about 40 years
• Sources of groundwater recharge: mountain snowpack in the Bannock Range south of Kinport
Peak and in the Upper Portneuf River watershed.
Pocatello's dependence on groundwater
Pocatello is totally dependent upon the groundwater resources of our aquifer for ALL of
our fresh water supplies. Our municipal wells range from 65 to 450 feet deep. Pumps
deliver the water to the surface and into the city's distribution systems.
This municipal water is treated with chlorine in order kill disease-causing bacteria. The
water at each well is also constantly monitored and tested for a wide variety of
pollutants. If the water quality becomes too poor, the well will be shut. The water in the
Pocatello aquifer is the only source of fresh drinking water available to us in the
foreseeable future. It is truly an irreplaceable resource that needs our care!
Here is a schematic diagram of a well/pump set up.
Is the aquifer polluted in Pocatello?

YES! The Pocatello aquifer is polluted by a variety
of chemicals. The ones of primary concern right
now are called Trichloroethylene (or TCE) and
Tetrachloroethylene (also known as
Perchloroethylene or PCE).
TCE and PCE belong to a class of chemicals

known as organic solvents. They are used to
dissolve substances that won't dissolve in water.
TCE and PCE are used in many different
industries. A familiar example is the dry cleaning
industry which uses these solvents to remove
stains from clothing without getting them wet. TCE
and PCE are dangerous to our health and have
been shown to cause cancer. These chemicals are
traveling along with a certain portion of our
groundwater as it makes its way through the
aquifer. This is called a "contaminant plume".
Municipal and private wells in Pocatello have
already been closed down due to these contaminants. Currently, it is believed that the
major source of the pollutants is coming from the old, unlined Fort Hall Mine Landfill.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Minimize your impacts.

There are a number of ways to minimize negative impacts on our aquifer. Water
conservation efforts help to minimize waste of our valuable resource. Installing water
efficient appliances, adding water saver devices to your faucets, and even simple things
like not letting the water run while brushing your teeth all help make a difference.
There are also a number of ways to minimize pollution impacts. Proper disposal of
household chemicals, motor oil, paint and other toxic substances is the single most
important thing you can do. It is all too easy to simply dump these pollutants down the
drain or onto the ground, thus giving them an opportunity to make it into our water
supply.
What is an aquifer?
A lot of people know that aquifers are underground sources of water. However, many
people picture them as giant underground lakes. Aquifers are actually made of the
water that is found in the tiny little spaces (or "pores") in between the particles that
make up the soils and rock under the ground (or in the "subsurface").
These particles can actually act as a natural filter to help remove impurities from the
water. This makes groundwater some of the cleanest water on the planet!
The aquifer portion of the subsurface is the part that is completely soaked (or
"saturated") with water. This water is usually called "groundwater". The uppermost layer
of water of the aquifer is called the "water table".
How do we get water out of an aquifer?
A lot of aquifers actually discharge their water naturally by emptying into streams and
rivers, or by seeping out of the ground as springs. People can also get water out of
aquifers by drilling a well into the subsurface down into the aquifer. These wells become
unnatural access routes to the aquifer. As such it is very important to seal the outside of
the well bore properly during construction. This helps prevent contaminants from
entering into the subsurface. This grout can be made of many things including concrete
and very fine clays.
Pumps are used to pull air and then water out of the subsurface, up the well and up to
the surface. Water in the pore spaces will move into the well because the pump creates
differences in pressure (like a vacuum). An aquifer where water comes up to the surface
without needing a pump is called an "artesian aquifer". Some aquifers are so deep that
their water never makes it to the surface naturally, but people can dig wells deep
enough to pump groundwater up out of these aquifers. Some giant municipal and
industrial wells can be hundreds to over a thousand feet deep!
What is groundwater used for?
Groundwater is used for irrigation, as a drinking water supply, as a source of all

household water, for industrial operations needing water, and a whole lot more! In fact,
many cities depend entirely on groundwater for all of their water needs. If they were to
run out of groundwater they wouldn't have any more fresh, clean water. Unfortunately,
many cities have to rely solely on groundwater because they have polluted their surface
waters too badly to be used.
How does water get into an aquifer?
Water on the surface that comes from rain or snow melt soaks into the ground. This
process is called "infiltration". The water slowly percolates down into the aquifer by
travelling in a very windy path through the pores that are connected together. When
water infiltrates into the aquifer from above it is said to have "recharged" the aquifer.
Some aquifers can be recharged in a matter of hours. In others the water travels so
slowly that it make take hundreds or thousands of years to make it into the aquifer. The
same holds true for the amount of time it takes for the groundwater to naturally move
through and out of an aquifer!
Why are our impacts on aquifers so important?
There are a number of reasons why what we do to our aquifers is so important. In

many places people are draining the aquifers faster than nature can recharge them. In
some areas this rapid pumping has caused the water table to drop. This has led to
many streams and springs drying up and an increase in desert-like conditions. Another
reason why what we do is so important is because of how aquifers recharge. Water gets
into them by draining down from the surface of the earth. So, any pollutants or toxic
substances that dissolve in the water will be carried down into the aquifer too. Another
way for pollution to get into the aquifer is from leaking underground storage tanks and
buried wastes, such as gasoline tanks or landfill garbage. Toxins draining from these buried
wastes can become mixed with the groundwater.
Why does aquifer pollution matter?
A polluted aquifer is generally a major problem! Because so much of our supply of fresh
water comes from groundwater, polluted aquifers are a source of potential threat to the
public health. Also, because so many aquifers naturally drain onto the surface, a
polluted aquifer can lead to a polluted environment. These aren't the only reasons
however why a polluted aquifer is such a problem. Rememeber that it can take
groundwater a very long time to move through an aquifer, and those pollutants that get
in the groundwater move just as slowly and stay just as long! Polluted aquifers are very
hard to clean and it generally take many years to do so - unfortunately, sometimes it is
not possible to get them all the way clean.
THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN AN AQUIFER IS TO NEVER GET IT DIRTY IN THE

FIRST PLACE!
WATER CONTAMINATION TERMS
What is a TMDL? what is a MCL? - A TMDL is a Total Maximum Daily Load. This
is a legal determination of the total amount of a particular pollutant that can be
discharged into a water supply/water source in one day. This sets the limit on total
pollution a water body can receive from all possible sources.
TMDL’s are established by the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Division
of Environmental Quality. TMDL’s are used to set the limits on how much of a particular
pollutant each generating source (such as a factory) may discharge.
An MCL is the Maximum Concentration Level a pollutant can attain in a given water
supply/water source. MCL’s are established by the EPA. Routine water quality testing
by the City of Pocatello checks the concentration level of a variety of pollutants in our
municipal water supply. If a pollutant exceeds its MCL the City must report to the DEQ
the amount the pollutant exceeds the standards, and take corrective measures. Typical
pollutants tested for are TCE, PCE and nitrate.
What is a USDW? - An underground source of drinking water (USDW) is any

aquifer or portion of an aquifer which:
• supplies any existing public drinking water system or,
• contains enough groundwater to supply a public drinking water system in the
future and,
• which contains fewer than 10,000 mg/L total dissolved solids.
USDW’s are protected by law in the United States.
What can you do to conserve water? - There are a number of ways to conserve
water:
• Water only when necessary (NOT WHEN IT RAINS!)

• Water only as much as required (DON'T OVER WATER!)
• Water in the early morning or evening. This allows water to sink into the soil
instead of being evaporated by the heat of the sun.
• DON'T water when it is windy
• Don't let water run into the gutters
• Don't cut your grass shorter than two inches (it stays greener when it is longer)
• Let your grass grow to at least four inches before you mow it
• Let your grass clippings lie on the lawn (they help retain moisture)
• Scatter your grass clippings around your other plants for the same reason
• Don't let your faucets run or drip

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Geologic description of the Pocatello Aquifer

THE POCATELLO AQUIFER FACTS

• Geographic extent: Portneuf Gap - narrows to Cubbuck

Here is a schematic diagram of a well/pump set up.

Is the aquifer polluted in Pocatello?

TCE and PCE belong to a class of chemicals

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Minimize your impacts.

How do we get water out of an aquifer?

What is groundwater used for?

Groundwater is used for irrigation, as a drinking water supply, as a source of all

Why are our impacts on aquifers so important?

There are a number of reasons why what we do to our aquifers is so important. In

Why does aquifer pollution matter?

THE BEST WAY TO CLEAN AN AQUIFER IS TO NEVER GET IT DIRTY IN THE

WATER CONTAMINATION TERMS

What is a USDW? - An underground source of drinking water (USDW) is any

USDW’s are protected by law in the United States.

• Water only when necessary (NOT WHEN IT RAINS!)

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