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25 <br />V. Summalry of Findings <br />To summarize, the work of the last seven years has led the Committee to draw <br />the following conclusions and findings: <br />Finding #1 <br />Potable water is a finite resource in the County. The availability of potable wafer is an <br />issue that has public health, economic development and environmental ramifications. A <br />decline in quantity or quality would represent a potential serious environmental and/or <br />public health problem, and scarcity of potable water would hinder the economic <br />development potential of the County. <br />Finding #2 <br />Ground water quality in the County is generally good and may be considered a reliable <br />source of potable water. Although there have been isolated or localized incidents of <br />ground water quality problems, the results of the last eight years have not turned up any <br />widespread problems of ground water contamination. The primary ground water quality <br />concern in the County appears to be from naturally-occurring sources, such as iron and <br />manganese. <br />Finding #3 <br />However, while quality is generally good, elevated water-borne radon levels in certain <br />geologic formations of the County (more often found in the south-central part of the <br />County) may pose health risks, and should be evaluated further. <br />Finding #4 <br />Ground water quantity in the County can vary dramatically, due to the type of fractured <br />rock geology that underlies the surface. While ground water availability is adequate to <br />meet current needs, the density of development permitted by zoning in some watershed <br />basins may exceed the ability for ground water to be recharged to meet demand. <br />Finding #5 <br />Protection of water supplies needs a conservative approach to maintain our resource in a <br />sustainable way and ensure that adequate ground water remains for future generations. <br />Finding #6 <br />The results of the cooperative research with USGS has provided a solid baseline of <br />ground water quality and quantity, that may be used to measure trends and changes in <br />well yield and quality over time. <br />iR <br />