Old Palm City

The Martin County Health Department uses GIS in conjunction with the SUPERAct program. SUPERAct tracks groundwater contamination and monitors the safety of potable water supplies through sampling.

Martin County has several constraints including a large number of potable wells, unique geology, and limited staffing to perform the sampling. It is important to quickly identify the wells most in need of sampling based on groundwater flow and location relative to the contamination source.

Old Palm City is a densely populated residential area with three contaminated gas stations located along Mapp Road. Groundwater flow is to the southeast, toward the St. Lucie River. Until recently, there were no public water lines available in this area, and the Martin County Health Department was faced with annual sampling of hundreds of potable wells. To maximize sampling efforts, the GIS helps to determine which wells are most in need of analysis. A GPS point is obtained for all wells that are sampled, and the points are mapped based on the results of the sample. From the map, staff members can quickly determine the direction of plume migration and the wells most likely to be affected by the contamination.

The red-shaded points on this map indicate wells where high levels of contaminants were detected. Even without much knowledge of the geology of the area, the movement of the plume is discernible from the mapped sample data. Based on the size of the plume and the direction of the plume's movement, the area where sampling is most important can be determined.

With the help of GIS, Martin County has some assurance that it is using its sampling efforts wisely. With improved data management processes, there is more time to spend in the field taking samples. And more samples taken means better health protection for the citizens of Martin County.