Central Valley groundwater pollution

The pumping of groundwater has been happening in the valley since 1850 when residents began to construct pumps to help make up for the lack of surface water in the area.[7] At the turn of the 20th century, California established itself as a leading agricultural state due to its technological advancements in land management, irrigation and machinery. The Central Valley had the ideal economic and climate conditions for a diverse range of crop growth and drew in wealthy landowners to grow their industry in the region. Throughout the early 1900s, technology for waste management did not advance at the same speed as the growth in agriculture.[9] This makes these aquifers extremely important because groundwater supplies much of the water needed for agricultural purposes and serves as the only source of water for several communities throughout the valley.[10]

However, there is not a reciprocal amount of water available to recharge the aquifers and recent years have seen an increase in wells drying up. This overdraft of groundwater is causing numerous problems for farmers throughout the valley and is only made worse with the effects of climate change.[7] Groundwater contaminated by nitrates comes from 50 years of unregulated management of livestock waste disposal, septic systems and commercial fertilizers. The Californian Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 was the first of its kind to specify how to manage groundwater in way that would not harm or endanger future generation's access to clean groundwater.[7]

Before this act, there were no regulations surrounding groundwater management other than the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act. Even these acts do not totally protect Central Valley residents. Consistent monitoring didn’t begin until the 1950s, with only 13,000 tests completed in the 1980s. Today, the California Spatio Temporal Information on Nitrate in Groundwater (CASTING) database comes from over 133,329 tests in the Central Valley region.[11] With advancements in testing and research, the Central Valley is increasing in efforts to reduce the impact of nitrate water pollution that is expected to drastically increase in the next couple decades.[12]

Set by the California Department of Public Health, the Maximum Contaminant Level of nitrates, in CCR §63341, are 45 milligrams per liter (mg/L) for nitrate as NO3 (equivalent to 10 mg/L for nitrate as nitrogen or “N”); 10 mg/L for nitrate plus nitrite as N; and 1 mg/L for nitrite as N. Public wells are required to do annual water testing, where they submit their nitrate levels to the Department of Health, however private wells are not subject to do this. Though 98% of the state has access to water with a suitable level of nitrates, there are disparities in  who does not have access to clean water.[13]

Despite modern data and methods for agricultural safety, 92 water systems in the Central Valley were attached to wells containing illegal levels of nitrates between 2005 and 2008, impacting the 1,335,000 residents in the area.[13]  Historically, programs to address the public health and economic impact nitrates have on communities and industries run at around $1 million each, making this a costly and slow process for change.[14]

The Californian Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 was the first of its kind to specify how to manage groundwater in a way that would not harm or endanger future generation's access to clean groundwater.[6] Signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014, this three-bill legislative package created a framework for preserving and managing groundwater at the local and state level. This creates a regulatory process, mandating that Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to adopt Ground Water Sustainability Plans (GSPs) to manage supply. Before this act, regulations were only at the federal level with the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act, and failed to protect Central Valley residents. Based on these laws, farms and oil drilling sites could not put wastewater into the ground if it impacted clean drinking water; however, if water was not suitable to drink, these sources could dump lethal waste into the water, thus eliminating any access to the aquifer for residents.[11]

Manure, fertilizer, septic and natural causes are the leading sources of nitrates in groundwater. Depending on the area in the Central Valley, manure and fertilizer are the largest sources of nitrates. Fertilizers have roughly 11.5 million tons of nitrogen added to them annually in the United States. The nitrogen in the fertilizer is then released into the atmosphere as ammonia gas or the rest is saturated into the soil and taken up by plants. The nitrogen in the soil is converted to nitrates, which is the main form nitrogen is found in for groundwater contamination.  In the U.S. 53% of nitrates originate from fertilizers, making this a priority for Californian officials. Manure produces around 6.5 million tons of nitrogen, that when not handled properly can contaminate soil and water sources. Natural causes, such as nitrates occurring in crops, is consistently a minimal source.[15]

There have been several studies done researching the impact of nitrogen on human health. The main finding that is consistent through all of the studies is the exposure period. In order for an actual risk of cancer to be significantly higher, the exposure period must be at least 5 and in some cases 10 years. This seems extensive, however when receiving pushback from the government, 10 years does not seem like such a lengthy period. Women who consume water with nitrate over 5 mg/L are at a higher risk of thyroid cancer.[16] The important thing to realize here is that this 5 mg/L is 5 mg below the federally accepted limit. When consumed, the nitrate will compete with the iodine in the body, in which one is taken up by the thyroid. When the thyroid takes up nitrogen over iodine, the thyroid begins to lose function. This exposure is only 5 years before the risk of thyroid cancer increases significantly. Individuals are at a higher risk for colon and rectal cancer when they consume water with high (above 5 mg/L) nitrate levels. Exposure for 10+ years is associated with increased colon cancer risk among susceptible populations. (,[17]). These populations are usually communities that lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables, as a lack of vitamins C is a major risk factor. Drinking water and dietary sources of nitrate and nitrite cause increased cancer risks due to the nitrate compounds reacting with amines and amides to form carcinogens. There is also an increased risk of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A particular study indicated that long term exposure to elevated nitrate levels in the drinking water can contribute to the risk of NHL. The exact process of how this happens is still being researched.[18]