OUR SOLE SOURCE:
THE MAHOMET AQUIFER
The Mahomet Aquifer provides drinking water to nearly 1 million people across Central Illinois. More than 100 communities and rural homeowners in 14 counties rely on the deep underground aquifer for drinking water.
The Mahomet Aquifer was designated a sole source aquifer by the EPA in 2015, which means that “contamination of the aquifer would create a significant hazard to public health and there are no physically available or economically feasible alternative sources of drinking water to serve the population that relies on the aquifer.”
The aquifer is thousands of years old and consists of sand and gravel deposited by glacial meltwater flowing westward along the Mahomet Bedrock Valley. Each day, it supplies about 100 million gallons of water to Central Illinois.
We want to ensure that the Mahomet Aquifer stays free of pollution and can provide clean and safe drinking water in perpetuity. We also want to ensure that people are paying attention to the issue of water quantity in the aquifer.
We aren’t the only ones working on this. For years, citizens have recognized the importance the aquifer has for this place and have worked to protect it from pollution, like toxic waste being stored in the Clinton Landfill. We’re proud to partner with those groups and citizens.
The Mahomet Aquifer Advocacy Alliance (MAAA), an informal association of local government and stakeholder organizations, also works cooperatively to safeguard the Mahomet Aquifer.
