Wellhead Protection

Because residents in the Village of Holly, Rose Township and Holly Township depend on clean, safe groundwater to supply homes, industries and recreational activities, a voluntary Wellhead Protection Program (WHPP) was developed.

The WHPP is a planning and management program aimed at protecting the Village’s groundwater supplies from contamination.  The Village established a WHPP team to oversee the program.  First, a Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA) was established.  At the edge of this area, it would take ten years for contamination to reach the Village’s municipal wells. To protect this area, potential and existing sources of contamination were mapped.  Finally, activities were implemented to educate the public about groundwater protection.

 2010 Holly Wellhead Protection Plan

What is Groundwater?

Groundwater is the water that fills the small spaces between rock particles (sand, gravel, etc.) or cracks in solid rock.  Rain, melting snow, or surface water becomes groundwater by seeping into the ground and filling these spaces.  The top of the water-saturated zone is called the water table.

Water movement is cyclical and moves from the ground to the surface (springs, rivers, lakes, wells), to the air (evaporation) and back to the surface (precipitation) where it seeps into the ground and into an aquifer.  An aquifer is any type of geologic material, such as sand or sandstone, which can supply water to wells or springs.

Groundwater, which supplies wells, often comes from within a short distance (a few miles) of the well.  How fast the groundwater moves depends both on how much the well is pumped and what type of rock particles or bedrock it is moving through.

 Groundwater Statistics Fact Sheet
 Volume of the Great Lakes
 Article Series on Wellhead Protection

Protecting Wellheads

There are many steps to protecting the area’s groundwater supplies that residents can take.

• Properly plug abandoned wells on your property.
   Locating Abandoned Wells
• Be aware of dangerous household hazardous chemicals and never dump them directly on the ground.
• Consider alternatives to household products that contain hazardous chemicals.
• Participate in a Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day.  For information about dates, contact the Village of Holly or Holly Township.
• Recycle used motor oil, brake and transmission fluid.  Many service stations will accept used oil.
• Pick up and dispose of animal waste.
• Follow instructions and soil test recommendations when using pesticides and fertilizers.  Over-application is harmful.
• If you have a private well, test your water annually.
• If you have a septic system, have it checked every other year to ensure that it is functioning properly.  Septic systems should be pumped every 3 years.
• Get involved in the Holly Wellhead Protection Program.
• Inform the Village of Holly, Rose Township and Holly Township of potential sources of contamination.

Groundwater Links

Environmental Protection Agency Wellhead Protection Information
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Wellhead Protection Information
The Groundwater Foundation