Ground water is a key resource supporting many aspects of life. It replenishes our streams and rivers, provides fresh water for irrigation, industry, and communities, and supplies drinking water to 95% of Idaho citizens. As Idaho’s population grows, so does the need for clean, usable ground water.
DEQ is responsible for maintaining and protecting the existing high quality of Idaho’s ground water and restoring degraded ground water to support beneficial uses where feasible. We focus on protecting ground water from pollution, cleaning up degraded ground water, and monitoring and assessing ground water quality. We also partner with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR), and many other state, local, and private agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals to achieve this goal.