A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION-SYSTEMS APPROACH TO WELLHEAD PROTECTION

The 1986 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act mandate a multiface ted approach to wellhead protection. This approach includes: (1) delin eating wellhead protection areas; (2) identifying and managing potenti al contaminants; (3) developing contingency plans in the event of well field contamination; (4) siting new wells; and (5) encouraging public participation. These elements encompass technical, administrative, and educational considerations. In functioning both as a research tool an d as a decision support system, a geographic information system (GIS) is shown to have proven utility in addressing these issues. This artic le describes the application of common GIS functionality in facilitati ng a comprehensive wellhead protection scheme for an agricultural muni cipality in North Dakota.