Livingston County has more than 80 groundwater contamination sites. In addition to posing immediate health risks, groundwater contamination led to unanticipated costs borne by developers and new residents. While Livingston County ranked among the state's growth leaders throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the costs of groundwater contamination dampened development efforts. Concerned about the public health and economic implications of contamination county, officials responded in the late 1980s with a contaminated site mapping program to identify contaminated sites.

In the 1980s, Livingston County was one of a handful of counties that received state grant funds to support groundwater protection and hazardous waste compliance. While working with the state, communities and local businesses to improve groundwater protection, the County discovered numerous sites of groundwater contamination.

The mapping program has several uses. First, it assists the County Health Department in determining areas of groundwater vulnerability, the prime indicator being elevated nitrate levels, which suggest porous soils. The Department uses this information in its well permitting program, adjusting locations and depth of wells to protect drinking water supplies. About 17,000 well logs have been entered in a data base; the county receives up to 2000 well permit applications each year.

Second, the map, first published in 1994 and updated in October, 1998, is eagerly consulted by builders and developers who are interested in finding building sites. "When they're out there thinking about developing 50 to 60 home sites, they want to know what they're up against," said Environmental Health Director McCormick. "They're very supportive of the list and in fact, they want to know when it's going to be updated."

The updated map is included in a booklet sold for $20 but also provided to local governments, homebuilders associations, and others. The more than 20-page booklet has been revised to reflect newly identified sites, to describe the county's well permitting process, to be more accessible to readers. It also contains information on practices that protect groundwater. McCormick sees the contaminated site mapping program as an example of good government.

The County has expanded on these past initiatives by working through its noncommunity water supply inspection program to identify hazardous material storage and handling practices and disconnenction of floor drains to prevent groundwater contamination. Each year, approximately 80 of the affected businesses are expected. It also partners with Marion, Howell, Oceola and Genoa Townships (MHOG) in seeking wellhead protection funding from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Wellhead Protection Unit.