Based on the results of the data review, it appears that the major known source of nitrates in groundwater is related to the density of domestic septic systems in the area.
Background: On February 10, 2020, Protect Our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH) and the Wyoming Outdoor Council (WOC) submitted a complaint to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) Water Quality Division (WQD) alleging that there were unpermitted Underground Injection Control (UIC) commercial septic systems at two facilities located in Hoback Junction, Teton County, Wyoming. Following the inspections of these two facilities, WOC submitted a second complaint on June 16, 2020, alleging that elevated nitrates in groundwater in the Hoback Junction Area were caused by commercial and residential septic systems and requested that the WDEQ investigate potential sources of nitrate exceedances.