POTABLE WATER ⇨ GROUNDWATER

What’s the Story?

What a pump! Potable water is often obtained by digging a well into the groundwater or “aquifer.” People who live in rural or agricultural areas typically depend on wells for their water supply. Some wells are drilled very deep into the aquifer (hundreds or even thousands of feet!); many are below “confining layers,” like solid rock, that protect these deeper water reserves from contaminants such as chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides. Electricity is needed to run the pumps that operate modern wells, drawing the water against the force of gravity (historically wells were dug by hand and operated manually). If the casing and piping that the groundwater travels through are damaged or cracked, water will leak out on its way up to the surface, leaking the potable water back into the ground.

Click on your water drop above to travel to the reservoir next!!