ABSTRACTAn objective view of the need for ground‐water quality standards requires that an individual recognize the value that ground water contributes to the water supply needs of our nation. A vast number of people living in rural areas and a large number of communities are dependent upon ground water as their sole source of water for domestic, industrial, commercial, and agricultural needs.This large use and dependency upon ground water dictates that these resources are valuable and must be protected for both present day and future uses. There are many examples where present methods of disposal of wastes generated in America have not been satisfactory from an environmental standpoint, with an exception of projects where disposal sites have been properly designed, operated, and managed for protection of the ground water.One possible solution for ground‐water protection is the establishment of ground‐water quality standards. The purpose of such standards is to protect the public health and welfare and maintain the quality of ground waters in all usable aquifers for individual, public, industrial, and agricultural water supplies. A legal basis must exist and the prescribed steps must be followed as dictated by the rule making process. The primary aim of such standards is to prevent the degradation of ground waters such as they will not become a public health hazard or harm the users of the ground water.The backbone of such a standard rests on the completion of a hydrogeological study which is necessary to determine background water quality information, set up the monitoring program and outline sampling to determine when water quality changes are taking place and what is a significant c