5 examples of groundwater source
Answers
Answer:
Groundwater, as the name suggests, is water found underneath the surface of the earth. The water from rainfall, lakes, rivers, and streams seeps through the porous ground to reach the water table; a level where the ground beneath is saturated with water. Groundwater is usually contained in an aquifer. An aquifer can be described as a geological structure made of permeable components able to store large quantities of water. Groundwater is found in almost all places but the depth of the water table varies depending on the region, meteorological factors, and rate of exploitation. The amount of groundwater also changes with the season. In the rainy season, the water levels increase while in the dry season, the level of groundwater decrease.
Importance of Groundwater
Groundwater is an essential natural resource in most places. It makes up about 30% of the world’s freshwater reserve. It is often clean and easily accessible. In the United States, more than half of the population depends on groundwater as the primary source for their drinking water. In most farming areas where irrigation is practiced, groundwater is often used to irrigate the crops. In dry regions like Australia, groundwater provides a cheap water source because it is the most cost-effective to extract. In times of no rain, the groundwater plays a vital role in the environment by releasing water into rivers, lakes, and streams. As a result, groundwater prevents them from drying up. It also sustains the ecosystem by providing water for the vegetation when rainwater has dried up.
Major Sources of Groundwater Contamination
For a long time, groundwater was known to be clean and free from contamination. However, due to rapid industrialization and increased use of chemicals, numerous contaminants often find their way into the groundwater. The significant sources of contamination in groundwater are farming chemicals, septic waste, landfills, uncontrolled hazardous waste, storage tanks, and atmospheric pollutants.
Agricultural Chemicals
Agricultural production has been scaled up in most developed nations. This large-scale production of farm goods means increased use of farm chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. These chemicals used on farms settle on the ground, and when it rains, they mix with the rainwater and seep through the porous ground to reach the underground water. That way, the chemicals pollute the groundwater.
Septic Waste
It is essential that septic waste is treated before it is disposed into the ground. Treatment prevents harmful substances from getting into the ground and spreading to the water. Additionally, the septic systems are structured to release the waste into the ground at an extremely slow rate which is harmless to the environment. However, poorly designed septic systems release viruses, bacteria, and household chemicals into the groundwater and make it unfit for human consumption. Poorly maintained septic tanks also result in leaks which cause groundwater contamination.
Landfills
As the human population grows, so does the garbage produced daily. This garbage is collected and taken to particular locations known as landfills where it is buried. Landfills are required to have a protective layer at the bottom to stop the waste from seeping into the ground. Nonetheless, some landfills lack that protective layer, and in some cases, it is cracked. Such landfills result in leaks of contaminants such as household chemicals, car battery acid, oil, and medical products into the groundwater.
Hazardous Waste Sites
There are numerous sites around the world where hazardous products such as radioactive components, war chemicals, electronic waste, and similar products are disposed. The number of these waste sites keep growing by the day. In many cases, hazardous products’ disposal sites are not adequately monitored. The lack of proper monitoring and maintenance of such sites leads to leakage of dangerous substances into the groundwater.
Storage Tanks
Chemicals, oil, minerals, and other products are often kept in storage tanks above or below ground. In the United States alone, it is estimated that more than 10 million storage barrels containing different substances are stored underground. Over time, the storage containers erode, and this may result in harmful substances leaking into the ground. Subsequently, the contaminants move through the soil and reach the groundwater making it unfit for human use.
Atmospheric Pollutants
Groundwater is maintained through the hydrological cycle which is the movement of water above, below, and on the surface of the earth. As the water moves, it comes into contact with pollutants in the atmosphere such as harmful gases. When it rains, the water carries these contaminants into the ground and pollutes the groundwater.
Explanation:
Groundwater is water that gets collected beneath the surface of the earth. The water seeps through the surface and the mud soaks it. Groundwater is procured by drilling or digging a well or by pumping. However, overpumping of groundwater shouldn’t be done as it affects the salinity of the soil. It reduces the water level and increases the salinity of the soil.
Groundwater is often cheaper, more convenient and less vulnerable to pollution than surface water. Therefore, it is commonly used for public water supplies.
Aquifer
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt) from which groundwater can be extracted using a water well. It is a porous substrate. When water can flow directly between the surface and the saturated zone of an aquifer, the aquifer is unconfined. The deeper parts of unconfined aquifers are usually more saturated since gravity causes water to flow downward.
Infiltration
Infiltration is a process where the water on the surface seeps into the soil and enters it. The Infiltration rate is a measure of the rate at which soil is able to absorb rainfall or irrigation.
Water Table
The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. Water that collects or flows beneath the Earth’s surface, filling the porous spaces in soil, sediment, and rocks. Groundwater is formed due to rain and melting of snow, it is also a source of water for aquifers, springs, and wells.
