That karst aquifers constitute a class with properties distinct from other aquifers has been supported by the work of many researchers. Nonetheless, assessments of aquifers in limestone and dolomite where contamination issues exist continue to be regularly mismanaged by practitioners whose training has focused on the properties of granular aquifers. Incorrect assumptions of pressure and pore-space continuity, erroneous assumptions of isotropy and homogeneity relating to permeability testing, and the inappropriate application of models and computer simulations based upon these assumptions are the principal causes of this mismanagement. The authority conferred by respected consulting firms and sophisticated computer simulations has led to these fundamentally flawed studies being utilized in situations involving contaminants where the public health and welfare must be appropriately protected. Examples of the misuse of assumptions and authority relating to karst aquifers are discussed here.