Many Locations In The State Have Contaminated Groundwater

Does the neighborhood you live in have contaminated groundwater?

Almost half of Arizona’s water supply comes from groundwater, and several pieces of land across the state. Findings show that there are toxic chemicals in the ground.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality oversees the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF), which was created under the Environmental Quality Act of 1986 to identify, prioritize, assess and resolve contaminated soil and ground water concern within the state. Using state funds, the program maintains the statewide effort, as well as facilitating private funded cleanups.

Currently there is a reported 36 sites in Arizona that are in the process of having toxic contaminants removed from the soil, the groundwater or both.

What is causing the contamination? Major contaminant contributors are dry cleaners, the rise in use of chemicals in agriculture, accidental leaks or spills and improper household waste disposal.

The locations within Arizona that are currently being addressed by the WQARF program are listed on the WQARF Registry. The Registry is updated regularly as sites are added and cleaned up. The information that is provided includes the E&E score (out of a possible total score of 120), the site name, the city and county where the site is located, and the date the site was added to the Registry.

To learn more about each WQARF site, see the WQARF Registry.

Click on each spot in the map below to see WQARF contamination locations, along with contaminant details, in Arizona.