 |
| Quick Links
|
|
In Olympia , and most of Thurston County, we drink groundwater; water that is found below the Earth's surface.
Groundwater is Stored in Aquifers. In the Puget Sound region, aquifers are underground chunks and layers of sand and gravel that can transmit and store significant quantities of water.
Aquifers are recharged by precipitation (rain and snow) that falls on the ground.
In Olympia, we get about 52 inches of rainfall each year. About half of that amount soaks into the ground to recharge our groundwater aquifers.
Aquifers not only provide us with our fresh drinking water through wells and springs, they also recharge rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands.
Keeping Groundwater Clean: Our activities at home or at work can affect the quality of the groundwater beneath us. For example, yard and household chemicals, stormwater runoff, leaking underground storage tanks, failing septic systems, or other contaminants can easily seep into groundwater and pollute it. View our groundwater illustration that shows different ways groundwater can be contaminated.
Once contaminated, groundwater can be very expensive and even impossible to clean. That’s why Olympia has a Groundwater Protection Program, to ensure that we protect our groundwater before it becomes contaminated.
Contact Us:
- Staff Contacts: Victoria DeCillo, (360) 753-8463 and Liz Hoenig, (360) 753-8152
- Address: City of Olympia, Public Works Department
Groundwater Protection Program
P.O. Box 1967
Olympia, WA 98507-1967
Need More Information? Contact the Public Works office.
Physical Address: 924 7th Ave. SE, Suite A
Mailing Address: PO Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
Download printer-friendly (PDF) directions to our office
Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (360) 753-8588
Email: Public Works