Groundwater depletion most commonly occurs because of the frequent pumping of water from the ground. We pump the water more quickly than it can renew itself, leading to a dangerous shortage in the groundwater supply.

While groundwater is generally a safe source of drinking water, it is susceptible to contamination. Pollutants that contaminate groundwater may be some of the same pollutants that contaminate surface water (indeed, surface and groundwater are connected). Have private drinking water wells tested.

Groundwater is recharged naturally by rain and snow melt and to a smaller extent by surface water (rivers and lakes). Recharge may be impeded somewhat by human activities including paving, development, or logging.

A trend of rising groundwater level has been anecdotally observed over the last 10 years. The elevated groundwater levels in the affected area are the result of long term cumulative land use changes, instigated by humans, which have directly resulted in detrimental changes to the groundwater aquifer properties.

What you might not know is that tidal forces from the Sun and Moon also influence the air we breathe and the solid ground we stand on. While we don’t tend to notice Earth and atmospheric tides, they do affect both the land and the world’s largest freshwater resource located underneath our feet: groundwater.

Groundwater helps grow our food. 64% of groundwater is used for irrigation to grow crops. Groundwater is an important component in many industrial processes. Groundwater is a source of recharge for lakes, rivers, and wetlands.

Ground water is preferable over surface water for a number of reasons. First of all, ground water is reliable during droughts, while surface water can be quickly depleted. Ground water is, in general, easier and cheaper to treat than surface water, because it tends to be less polluted.

Advantages

• Rocks act as a natural filter.
• No loss of water through evaporation.
• No requirement for expensive and environmentally damaging dams.
• Pumping costs low.

The advantages of withdrawing groundwater include water for drinking and irrigation; availability and locality; low cost, no evaporation losses; and it is renewable. Disadvantages include aquifer depletion from over pumping, subsidence, pollution, saltwater intrusion, and reduced water flow.

In some parts of the world, groundwater is pumped at a faster rate than natural processes recharge the stored underground water. Groundwater use where pumping exceeds recharge is non-renewable and unsustainable.

The upper surface of groundwater is the water table . The definition of groundwater, or ground water, is water located beneath the surface of the earth. The water that your well draws from under the ground is an example of groundwater.

Water that occurs below the ground and is brought to the land surface by wells or springs is referred to as groundwater. Groundwater comprises 97 percent of fresh water not tied up as ice and snow in polar ice sheets, glaciers , and snowfields. This greatly exceeds the amount of water in streams, rivers, and lakes.