Hydrologic and Chemical Evaluation of the Ground-Water Resources of Northwest Elkhart County, Indiana

摘要

A study of the aquifer system underlying northwest Elkhart County, Indiana, has defined the general flow and quality of the area's ground water. The regional ground-water flow is toward the St. Joseph River. A ground-water-flow model was used to simulate pumpings of 7.5-, 10-, and 20-million gallons per day at the airport. The general ground-water quality was characterized by slightly basic pH (7-9), average hardness greater than 200 milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate, average alkalinity greater than 150 milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate, and a calcium bicarbonate water type. Eight volatile organic compounds were detected in samples from an industiral park area in east Elkhart. Concentrations of dissolved solids, bicarbonate, bromide, chloride, sulfate, ammonia, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, and dissolved organic carbon in the leachate were at least five times their background concentrations.