Letter to Susan Hedman, Regional Administrator of the EPA - Mahomet Aquifer Is A Unique, Precious Resource And Should Be Protected

Letter

The Honorable Susan Hedman
Regional Administrator, US EPA Region 5
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604

Dear Regional Administrator Hedman:

I write to urge you to protect the Mahomet Aquifer by designating it as a sole source of drinking water for the residents of central Illinois. The aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for this region, and the protection of its water quality is critical.

The Mahomet Aquifer is one of the largest groundwater sources in the state of Illinois. The aquifer spans 15 counties and 80 municipalities in central Illinois. It is the source of approximately 220 million gallons of water per day for communities, industry, agriculture and rural wells in Illinois. This system provides drinking water to more than 850,000 Illinois residents. It is also the water source that most central Illinois communities plan to use to meet future growth in demand, including population increases and times of drought.

Sole source designation would help protect this important resource by allowing the EPA to review all federally funded projects in the area to ensure they would not contaminate the aquifer. Protecting the aquifer from contamination will safeguard the drinking water supply for area residents and ensure a clean and safe drinking water source for generations to come.

More than half of the population in central Illinois relies on the Mahomet Aquifer as a primary source of drinking water. Special care must be taken to protect it from any threat to its health and safety. Therefore, I ask that you approve the petition to designate the aquifer as a sole source.


Sincerely,

Source