The Prairie Research Institute recently launched a collaboration with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to support groundwater protection across the state.
Led by Illinois State Water Survey and Illinois State Geological Survey researchers, the project provides scientific expertise in mapping and modeling to aid in the protection of community water supplies.
“Partnering with Illinois EPA is a fantastic opportunity,” said Allan Jones, an ISWS hydrogeologist leading the project. “Collaborations like this one will enable Illinois to become a national leader in environmental policy informed by cutting-edge, novel environmental research.”
Jones noted, “This project will strengthen our existing partnership for continued collaboration toward our common goals.” Working together, Illinois EPA and PRI will assist communities throughout Illinois to safeguard community water supplies and the environment.
Consistent with the Groundwater Protection Act, this collaboration demonstrates the state’s commitment to preventing waste and degradation of the State’s groundwater resources and managing them in a manner that allows maximum benefit to the people of the State of Illinois.
Initially the program will focus on defining the wellhead protection areas for three communities, creating a standardized approach that can be applied to others in the future.
A wellhead is any well or localized well field that extracts groundwater. A wellhead protection area defines the area where groundwater receives the highest levels of protection from contamination to avoid potential impacts to a community’s water supply. These wellhead protection areas are a vital component of the protections provided for groundwater to protect it as a valuable public resource.
“Illinois EPA’s mission to safeguard environmental quality strongly overlaps with the expertise and mission at PRI,” Jones said. “The surveys that comprise PRI have been dedicated to the study and preservation of Illinois’ natural resources — including water, geology, biology, and ecology — since the 1800s.”
These resources strengthen the science behind decisions that safeguard community water supplies and the environment, according to Randy Locke, ISGS principal scientist for research and development. Locke said this scientific foundation is emblematic of partnerships between PRI researchers and Illinois EPA, which has helped produce landmark public policy like the Illinois Groundwater Protection Act of 1987.
“Through this new scientific initiative, we will combine current research, data, mapping, and advanced groundwater modeling to support community wellhead protection for groundwater resources that Illinois communities rely on," Locke said.
ISWS Director Jenna Shelton expressed excitement about adding the new initiative to the longstanding collaborative partnership.
“We look forward to expanding our relationship with Illinois EPA by working together to provide the best possible water-related information and science to Illinois citizens," she said.
The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides scientific expertise and transformative research to the people of Illinois and beyond. PRI is home to the five state scientific surveys: the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.
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