Agriculture-Colorado:FAQ's

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FAQ's

Agricultural Chemicals & Groundwater Protection Program

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Does the Groundwater Program work with surface water?
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Water Quality Control Division is responsible for issues pertaining to surface water.
Does the Groundwater Program deal with water quantity issues?
The Colorado Division of Water Resources (also known as the Office of the State Engineer) administers water rights, issues of water quantity. and well permitting.
How do I dispose of unwanted pesticide?
First, you should read the pesticide label for disposal instructions. If no specific instructions are given, you should contact your county hazardous waste disposal representative. You can also call the Colorado Chemsweep Hotline at 1-888-242-4362.
What is the most commonly detected pesticide in Colorado groundwater?
The herbicide Atrazine and its breakdown products.
How does the Program select which pesticides it analyzes on a regular basis?
Multiple factors are considered when determining which pesticides are selected for analysis: a) chemical/physical properties of the pesticide; b) frequency of use; c) frequency of detection in groundwater samples; and d) EPA suggested groundwater monitoring analyte.
Why do you not analyze for all manufactured pesticides?
Not all pesticides pose an environmental risk of impacting groundwater quality and/or human health.
How does the Program determine where to sample?
We concentrate our efforts in areas meeting the following criteria: shallow, unconfined aquifers with water lying within 100 feet of the surface; coarse textured soils presenting high potential for contaminant leaching to the groundwater; association with non-point source pollution like irrigated agriculture and multiple-land-use areas found in urban environments; and groundwater importance for human or animal consumption.
What does the Program do with the data it collects?
We publish all of our results annually in a written report and on our publicly available, online database (http://ids-nile.engr.colostate.edu/webkit/Groundwater/). We also analyze and use the data to determine trends in pesticide and nitrate/nitrite contamination, confirm the need to increase/decrease sample density in specific well networks, and determine correlation to land use practices for the creation of best management practices (BMPs).
Does data for a specific well signify the groundwater quality for all the surrounding area?
No! The data associated with a specific well is relevant only to that well and keep in mind that our program only analyzes samples for agricultural chemicals and there are many other chemicals that may affect groundwater quality.