t's always been easy to dig a water well into the shallow, sandy soil of Cass County, in Michigan's southwest corner. Use a kit from the hardware store and some elbow grease, and the chore was a do-it-yourself task.

The water was plentiful for the second and third-generation farmers who raised hogs there, Michigan's top county for hog farming where pigs outnumber people about six to one.

Vacationers and retirees flocked there too, installing drinking water wells and septic tanks on their 50-foot wide lots along scenic inland lakes.

But Cass County's pigs --- as well as its humans --- are posing a threat to its groundwater, which is the main source of drinking water in Cass County.

In an area around Penn Township and Donnell Lake in central Cass County, where researchers are investigating the sources of contamination and methods for protecting the groundwater supplies, tests show that numerous local wells have a high concentration of nitrates.

Nitrates are often a byproduct of fertilizer and animal wastes, such as pig manure. They also can come from improperly maintained septic systems. Fertilizers and wastes are sources of nitrogen-containing compounds that are converted to nitrates in the soil, which can move easily into drinking water supplies. At elevated levels (greater than 10 parts per million), nitrates may cause adverse health effects in very young infants and older adults.

Researchers from Michigan State University and Western Michigan University conducted studies, drilled test wells and analyzed groundwater supplies in the area. They met with residents, farmers and elected officials about the high nitrate levels in the drinking water.

Now folks are making changes. Farmers, spurred by federal and state grant money, are building containment facilities for their pigs, rather than allowing them to roam and graze on open land. That gives the farmers a better chance to manage the manure problem, and protect the groundwater.

Residents around Donnell Lake are giving up their septic tanks for a sanitary sewer connection, each homeowner agreeing to pay $10,000 over 20 years to make it happen.

The challenge to Cass County residents is one faced by many agricultural communities in Michigan. The Groundwater Education in Michigan (GEM) program, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, seeks to provide up-to-date information to rural residents and farmers about proper septic system maintenance and the safe use of fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides.

Groundwater supplies the drinking water for nearly half of Michigan's residents, --- and nearly 90 per cent of people who live in rural areas. In addition, an estimated 37 percent of Michigan farmers use groundwater either for livestock or for irrigation.

"The groundwater studies have focused people's thinking on the importance of what they can do themselves," said John Gore, Penn Township supervisor.

If hog farmers use containment facilities, manure can be stored and processed more readily.

"We have to find ways to use the waste from hogs, instead of other chemicals to fertilize, and use it in the right mixture, so that the amount of nutrients used on one acre of corn or soybeans is the proper amount that field needs to grow," explained Gore.

The 322 homeowners around Donnell Lake flush out an average 70,000 gallons of wastewater daily into their septic tanks. Now, says Gore, "with the sewer, they can control thousands of gallons of sewage a day that need not go into their little area."

"If they lived at the lake, they blamed the hog farmers. The hog farmers didn't give a lot of thought to what their hogs were putting into the system, because it had always been done this way," explained Gore.

The roaming hogs compact the soil, and manure washes off the land into surface streams, wetlands and lakes. The hogs have also stripped the vegetation off the land, removing a filter to the groundwater.

The confinement buildings provide several benefits. Hogs roaming outside needed to be fatter to withstand the cold when the market demands leaner pigs. A containment facility also makes it easier to treat outbreaks of disease.

Farmers also are encouraged to make such ecological investments as building a fence to block pigs' access to a stream.

There are many programs available to help farmers identify farm and household practices that may place groundwater at risk. Among them is "Farm*A*Syst," a series of educational materials which is offered through county Extension offices and Soil Conservation District offices.

Farm*A*Syst serves as the foundation of the Michigan Department of Agriculture's Groundwater Stewardship Program. The program, which is administered in cooperation with Michigan State University Extension and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, works to educate pesticide and nitrogen fertilizer users concerning steps they can take to protect their groundwater. Funding for their efforts comes from fees on agricultural and homeowner nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides as provided by the Groundwater and Freshwater Protection Act of 1993.

For those who rely entirely on groundwater for family needs and to nurture livestock, protecting this valuable resource is a priority. Farm*A*Syst can help identify high pollution risks and actions that can be taken to reduce those risks.

Here's how Farm*A*Syst can help. The program provides Farm*A*Syst fact sheets and worksheets in a step-by-step, question and answer format to evaluate farm facilities and management practices that may pose a risk to groundwater contamination. The assessment also includes a basic evaluation of the soils, geologic and hydrologic features of the farmstead.

When the worksheets are completed by the farmer, the information is summarized and high risk activities or practices are identified. If requested, a technician will discuss alternatives that can be implemented to help reduce the risk of groundwater contamination on a farm.

All of the information from the worksheets is confidential and stays on the farm. Each individual decides what to do with the results of his or her own assessment.

Completion of Farm*A*Syst is the first step to participate in the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program, which may offer technical and cost-share assistance to make improvements.

Those seeking more help and information on the Farm*A*Syst program, can contact a Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program representative at the following locations:

• In northern Michigan, Roberta Dow or Kip Miller, District Groundwater Agent located at Traverse City (616)922-4620.
• In central Michigan, Charles Gould or Dave White, District Groundwater Agent located at Grand Rapids (616)456-6988.
• In southern Michigan, Sally Stuby or Terri Smith, District Groundwater Agent located at Kalamazoo 616-383-8830.
• Individuals can also call or write the Michigan Department of Agriculture, Environmental Stewardship Division, Ottawa Building North, P.O. Box 30017, Lansing, Mi. 48909 Phone: 517-373-9813 or 517-335-6545.