The Mahomet Aquifer serves around 750-thousand residents in central Illinois across over a dozen counties.

While communities and businesses draw from the Aquifer that sit directly over it, communities near the massive water suply, also draw from it. Al Wehrmann with Lane Hydro based in Indiana was hired by the City of Champaign to analyze if the Mahomet Aquifer can become a designation 'sole source aquifer'. He explains with the Aquifer being the primary drinking source for towns and communities lying above it, it also qualifies because of the many communities that draw from it that are around it.

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As it pertains to drinking water purposes only, Wehrmann says the area pumps about 53-million gallons goes to public supplies. He adds 4-million gallons goes towards rural residents. That figure does not include irrigation, Werhmann notes that is a different category.

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The other qualification the aquifer must meet to be designated a sole-source water supply relates to surrounding water supplies. Wehrmann says when you move away from the Mahomet Aquifer, there is not much beyong the Mahomet Aquifer for it's residents to draw from. That same reasoning is why so many other communities are drawing from the Mahomet Aquifer that do not sit over it.

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Wehrmann spoke on behalf of the Mahomet Aquifer Coalition's efforts to designate the water source as a sole source aquifer. Doing so would limit any federally funded projects from potentially contaminating the water of the aquifer.

The Clinton City Council is considering joining the Mahomet Aquifer Coalition. Wehrmann says the more communities that join their efforts, the better the chances are of getting the designation.