Who can make a difference?
- Agricultural producers--Farming, nursery operations, orchards, Christmas trees
- Businesses--Lawn services, insect control, golf courses
- Public space maintenance personnel--Parks, roadsides, school yards, sports fields
Causes of groundwater contamination
- Excessive or ill-timed application
- Spills
- Improper disposal of containers, excess product, or rinse water
- Well-drained soils or run-off that increase risks
- Backflow into the water system
What can you do?
Individual action
Applicators
- Comply with pesticide certification requirements.
- Follow label instructions carefully.
- Use least-toxic and least-leachable alternatives for pest control.
- Install backflow devices and maintain an air gap when filling tank.
- Properly store and handle pesticides to reduce spills and leaks.
- Consider soil type and run-off potential when making application decisions.
General public
- Hire pesticide applicators that use the practices listed above.
- Buy products with minimal pesticide inputs, such as organic produce.
- Send a letter to the manager of a public space requesting groundwater-safe use of pesticides.
Community action
- Support research and education on ways to reduce risk to groundwater from pesticides.
- Offer a disposal or recycling program for agricultural chemical containers and pesticide waste.
- Recognize farmers and others who use safe practices.
- Enforce clean-up of improper waste disposal or spills.
- Distribute information on alternative pest control methods.
- Send specific information about their soil type and pesticide leaching potential to landowners.
To learn more
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Pesticides Division
635 Capitol St.
Salem OR 97301
Phone: 503-986-4635
Fax: 503-986-4735
Information on training and certification for applicators, regulations, disposal events, and general questions related to commercial pesticide use.
Natural
Resources Division
635 Capitol Street NE
Salem, OR 97301-2532
Phone: 503-986-4700
Fax: 503-986-4730
Ground Water Research and Development Program: Research funded by taxes on pesticides and fertilizers. Results available on the Web page.
Call your county OSU Extension Service office.
- Training available for applicator's recertification credit on handling pesticides to protect water quality.
- Home*A*Syst assessment worksheet to identify risks to groundwater from storing and handling pesticides on your property
- Publications on pesticides, including several on water quality protection
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP)
P.O. Box 1393P
Eugene, OR 97440
Phone: 503-344-5044
Fax: 541-344-5044
E-mail: info@pesticide.org
- As the name implies, a source of information for alternatives to pesticide use.
- "No More Poisoned Wells: A Citizen's Guide to Oregon Groundwater Protection" (1990), 32 pages, available for a small charge.
US Geological Survey, Oregon District
10615 SE Cherry Blossom Dr.
Portland, OR 97216
Phone:
503-251-3200
E-mail: info-or@usgs.gov
Inquire about studies of pesticides in your community's groundwater.
Pesticide Telecommunication Network Hotline
Phone:1-800-858-7378
Information on toxicity and environmental fate of specific pesticides.