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GroundwaterWhat is the state of Hanford’s groundwater today? Some of Hanford’s groundwater is contaminated but currently the threat to humans is very low. While about 80 square miles of Hanford’s groundwater have contaminants that exceed drinking water standards, no one uses that water. Some radioactive and hazardous contaminants do enter the Columbia River today. The amounts are very small and are immediately diluted. The only way to measure the contamination is to draw down the upstream dam and put the measuring device immediately next to the spring where the contamination enters the river bed. What about in the future? The risk from Hanford’s groundwater will increase if we do not remove the contamination sources. There are no plans to use Hanford groundwater in the foreseeable future. The 53 million gallons of highly toxic and radioactive waste in aging underground tanks several miles from the river pose the greatest risk. The tanks will not hold their contents forever. If they leak, the contamination will eventually reach the Columbia River. WHAT IS GROUNDWATER?HANFORD GROUNDWATERFrequently Asked Questions | Groundwater Contamination at Hanford | Major Contaminants | Sources of Contamination | Remediation | Groundwater Modeling | Apatite OTHER LINKSRadiation and Toxicity Glossary
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