For the community of Hoback Junction, Wyoming, access to clean drinking water is not a new issue. But a recent investigation by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and its subsequent report is providing definitive answers to the source of contaminants. The primary concern for residents is the area’s drinking water and its high concentration of nitrates, which regularly exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum allowable nitrate concentration for human consumption of 10 milligrams per liter. The investigation examined the potential cause of elevated nitrates in groundwater in Hoback Junction, which has a population of around 1,600 people. According to the report, “it appears that the major known source of nitrates in groundwater is related to the density of domestic septic systems in the area.” Fertilizers, wildlife and livestock can also influence nitrate levels.
DEQ Reports Nitrates in Wyoming Community Linked to Septic Systems
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