Groundwater
Groundwater is freshwater from rain, melting ice, and snow that soaks into the soil and is stored in tiny spaces between the rock, sand, soil, and gravel. This water can be negatively impacted by activities on the surface. To prevent this from occurring, Kentucky’s Division of Water (KDOW) requires entities that conduct activities with the potential to pollute groundwater to develop Groundwater Protection Plans (GPP) that identify these activities and define best management practices (BMPs) that will be used to protect groundwater. Learn more about UK’s groundwater protection efforts on the following pages.
Detailed information about the activities conducted on campus that have the potential to impact groundwater and the BMPs put in place to protect it.
Stormwater is discharged to several sink holes on campus. Learn more about these systems, their classification as Class V wells, and their management.
Oils are used across campus for purposes ranging from powering emergency generators to frying potatoes. These substances have the potential to impact both surface and groundwater and must be managed. Learn more about these oils and UK’s program to manage their storage here.
UK’s Environmental Management Department has on-call staff ready to respond should a spill occur. To report a spill contact (859) 323-6280 during work hours and (859) 257-8573 after hours.