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o c..) .... W ~ ~ . Terrace deposits yield small to moderate amounts of vater from shallow wells in many locations. Although frequently good qualit,y vater is obtained from these deposits, the water often contains higher than normal concentrations of nitrate, suggesting that in some cases local pollution may be occurring. Nitrate is a constituent sometimes encountered in high concentrations in well vaters. If present in sufficient concentration, this substance vill cause cyanosis in infants drinking the water. Limiting concentrations have not been included in the Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards, but it is generally conceded that waters having a nitrate content of more than ten parts per million (expressed as nitrogen) should be viewed with suspicion and that concentrations as high as twenty parts per million are certainly dangerous, Generally high nitrate concentrations are found in shallow farm wells subject to organic pollution. Shallow wells near Shawnee, Oklahoma have caused cyanosis in bottle-fed babies. However, in the AWR basin, a few deep wells not subject to pollution have shown exces- sively high nitrate concentrations. The presence of excessive quantities of iron and manganese and sulphide o1n some of the ground vaters of the Arkansas-Hhite-Red basins necessitates treatment for removal of these constituents prior to munic- ipal use. The City of Wichita, Kansas, which obtains its vater supply from an aquifier north of the city, operates a combined iron-manganese removal and water softening plant. Hydrogen sulfide found in vater obtained from deep wells in the Tri- State area (Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma) causes serious water treatment problems. (Examples: Pi ttsburg and Columbus, Kansas). Oil brine pollution has damaged some ground vater supplies in the oil producing areas of the A\VR bas1,ns. Brine pollution can result fC'om downwsrd seepage of brine from porous brine storage ponds and from artesian brine seeping out of abandoned oil wells and test holes which have not been properly plugged. This is an insidious type of pollution that can cause irreparable damage to ground water. Improperly plugged oil wells have con- taminated underground water strata in the Canadian River Basin. Okemah, Sasakwa and cities below Oklahoma City have been unable to find good ground water supplies because of chloride contamination of sands from improperly plugged oil wells. Oil brine pollution is considered a very serious pro- blem in all of the oil producing states. QUALITY OF SURFACE WATERS Introduction When considering this discussion, reference should be made to the Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards (1946) (Reprint No. 2697 from the Public Health Reports, Vol. 61, No. 11, March 15, 1946, see page 5-29) 5-5