Cost of Contamination
Direct Costs of Groundwater Contamination
- Investigation costs (soil and water testing)
- Legal fees to recover investigation and treatment costs (if responsible party is identified)
- Clean up and remediation costs
- Costs of public information/education addressing contaminated drinking water supply
- Costs of buying a temporary water supply from another community (often at higher rates)
- Professional consulting fees to locate a new well or well field
- Costs of new well or well field development (wells and transmission lines)
Indirect Costs of Groundwater Contamination
Increased monitoring expenses
- Loss in property values
- Lost jobs (if industry must relocate due to water costs)
- Decline in consumer confidence in water supply
- Potential lawsuits from consumption of contaminated water in case of treatment failure.
Costs from Ohio EPA’s “The Costs and Benefits of Wellhead Protection and Financing Options”