ABSTRACTThe significance of ground‐water pollution depends on our perspective. To those individuals who are directly affected, it is an imminent disaster. Once contaminated, ground water may remain in an unusable or even hazardous condition for decades or even centuries as illustrated by situations in central Ohio, New York, London and many others. All polluted water can be treated to make it potable, but the expense may far exceed the resources of the individual homeowne