Groundwater is a part of the natural water cycle (check out our interactive water cycle diagram). Some part of the precipitation that lands on the ground surface infiltrates into the subsurface. The part that continues downward through the soil until it reaches rock material that is saturated is groundwater recharge.
How Do We Get Underground Water?
Underground water is a precious and essential resource that can be found in many parts of the world. It is an important source of drinking water, irrigation, and industrial uses.
In the United States, about 40 percent of the nation’s water supply comes from underground sources. Understanding how to access and use this valuable resource is critical to our survival.
In order to access underground water, we must first understand how it is formed. Underground water is water that has soaked into the ground and become trapped in a type of natural reservoir.
This water can be found in the form of aquifers, which are underground layers of permeable rock, sand, and gravel that contain water.
Aquifers can range in size from small local wells to massive regional systems that span hundreds of miles. In some cases, underground water can be accessed by simply drilling a well.
Wells are the most common way to access underground water, and they can be used to access both shallower aquifers near the surface and deeper aquifers that are hundreds of feet below the surface.
Well drilling is a specialized process that requires knowledge of both geology and engineering. In other cases, underground water can be accessed through the use of pumps. These pumps
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