"This publication is an update of the 1979 inventory of known and suspected groundwater contamination sites. It was beyond the scope of this effort to revise the potential contamination site listings that were compiled in 1979. However, a summary of the potential category is included." -- page i.

Groundwater Contamination in the United States provides a comprehensive overview of the groundwater problem, including a detailed discussion of the nature of groundwater, the aquifers that hold it, and the processes of its contamination. It also assesses the extent and nature of contamination across the United States and its effects on public health.

Fully updated and expanded into two volumes, the new edition of Groundwater Contamination explains in a comprehensive way the sources for groundwater contamination, the regulations governing it, and the technologies for abating it. Volume 1 covers all major contaminants and explains the hydrology and data used to determine the extent of pollution. Volume 2 discusses aquifer management, including technologies to control and stabilize multiple influxes into the water table. Among the many new features of this edition are a full discussion of risk assessment, the preparation of groundwater protection plans, and references linking the text to over 2,300 water-related Web sites.