Contribution Of Spray Irrigation Of Wastewater To Groundwater Contamination In The Karst Of Southeastern Minnesota, USA

A vegetable- and meat-canning facility located in the karst of southeastern Minnesota disposes ≈2.85×10⁵ m³ yr^-1 of wastewater by spray irrigation of an 83.7-ha field located atop the local groundwater divide. Cannery effluent contains high levels of chloride and nitrogen (organic and ammonia), in excess of 7000 mg/l and 400 mg/l, respectively. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations are generally < 5 mg/l. Agricultural, domestic, and municipal sources of chloride and nitrate are common in the region, and water supplies frequently exceed the drinking-water limit for nitrate-nitrogen of 10 mg/l. Fifty-two area wells and thirteen surface-water locations were sampled and analyzed for five ionic species, including: chloride (Cl), nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N), sulfate (SO₄), nitrite-nitrogen (NO₂-N), and phosphate (PO₄). Two distinct chloride plumes flowing outward from the groundwater divide were identified, and 65% of the wells sampled had nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in excess of 10 mg/l. The data were divided into two groups: one group of samples from wells located near the canning facility and another group from outside that area. A correlation coefficient of R²= 0.004 for Cl vs. NO₃-N in the vicinity of the irrigation fields indicates essentially no relationship between the source of Cl and NO₃. In areas of agricultural and domestic activities located away from the cannery, an R² of 0.54 suggests that Cl and NO₃ have common sources in these areas.