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-~._.....-- Regulated and unregulated radioactive contaminants occur on a scattered basis throughout the state. Among the currently regulated radionuclides, radium is an occasional contaminant. Uranium, which occurs on a more ~ widespread basis, is not currently regulated. Depending upon the level at .....1 which a health standard is established (within 1-2 years) ,Colorado mayor en may not have a problem. ~ Many of the chemical and radiological contaminants can only be removed by expensive and sophisticated treatment techniques. Depending upon future EPA standards (State and federal laws require Colorado to adopt EPA standards) and the level of standard violation, some systems may be required to apply such techniques in the future. To date organic chemical problems have occurred in isolated locations in Colorado. D. Groundwater Problems Surface water constitutes a significant portion of the raw water put to beneficial use in Colorado. Surface water, however, is a finite resource which is already over appropriated in some basins. This combined with anticipated population and economic growth indicate that groundwater will become increasingly important to Colorado in the future. Protecting the quality of this valuable resource is, therefore, a high priority for the State. In recent years it has become more apparent that disposal of wastes into groundwater can result in some difficult problems. It was once believed that land disposal offered a cleansing mechanism as liquids passed through soils. Today we know that this is only true for certain relatively innocuous wastes. Hazardous or toxic wastes may remain in the groundwater for decades. Fortunately, widespread contamination is not the pervasive problem in Colorado today that it is in some states. Generally, the quality of our groundwater is good. Over 75 percent of the public water systems in the State utilize groundwater for some portion of their drinking water supply. These systems supply water to approximately 25 pe~cent of our population. Additionally, there are approximately 150,000 private wells in the State that utilize groundwater for various domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. The localized groundwater contamination problems which have occurred in Colorado have typically resulted from solid and hazardous waste disposal, surface impoundments, mining waste disposal, oil and gas waste disposal, illegal dumping, septic tank disposal, sludge disposal, accidental spills, naturally occurring contamination, and aquifer contamination resulting from inadequate well construction or abandonment practices. 3. WASTE MANAGEMENT A. Hazardous Waste Hazardous wastes include ignitable, corrosive, toxic, and reactive materials. As Colorado's population and industrial base expand, hazardous waste problems will become more troublesome. As generation of hazardous -10-