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4. 2. 4. 2 Risk Assessment At the time of publication , data were not available to determine the potential loss in Indian River County due to transportation system accidents . 4 .2 . 5 Wellfield Contamination The development of wellfield protection programs is a major preve itative approach for the protection of community drinking water supplies . Wellfield protection is a means of safeguarding public water supply wells by preventing contaminants from entering the area that contributes water to the well or wellfield over a period of time . IV anagement plans are developed for the wellfield protection area that include inventorying potential sources of ground water contamination , monitoring for the presence of specific contaminants , and managing existing and proposed land and water uses that pose a threat to ground water quality . Ground water is an essential natural resource . It is a source of drinking water for more than half of the U . S . population and more than 950% of the rural population ( Browning , 1998 ) . In addition , ground water is a support system for sensitive ecosystem , such as wetlands or wildlife habitats . Between 1971 and 1985 , there were 245 ground water- related outbreaks of disease , resulting in more than 52 , 000 individuals being affected by associated illnesses ( Browning , 1998) . While most of these diseases were short-term digestive disorders caused by bacteria and viruses , hazardous chemicals found in wells nationwide also Dose risks to public health . The 1986 Amendments to the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act require states to implement wellfield protection programs for public water wells . Prevention strategies include maintaining isolation distances from potential contamination sources , reporting to the state violations of isolation distance , and asking a local governmental unit to regulate these sources . Cleaning up contaminated ground water can be technically difficult , extremely expensive , and sometimes simply cannot be done . Contaminated ground water also affects the community by discouraging new businesses or residents from locating in that community . 4. 2. 5. 1 Vulnerability Assessment Wellfield contamination can have the following potential impacts within a community: • Potable water system loss or disruption ; • Sewer system outage ; • Human health and safety ; • Psychological hardship ; • Economic disruption ; and • Disruption of community services . 4-59