Groundwater

Groundwater is the water present below the earth’s surface and is a vast resource of water. Almost 22 percent of water is below the surface land in the form of groundwater. Groundwater is important as it is used for water supply in rural and urban areas. It is also often used for municipal, industrial and agricultural use by building and operating extraction wells.

  • The groundwater is more convenient and less exposed to pollution. So, it is commonly used as water supplies for the public.
  • Groundwater makes up about twenty percent of the freshwater supply of the entire world’s water, including oceans and permanent ice.

Groundwater

Groundwater Pollution

Generally, groundwater is good for drinking. Groundwater that is polluted is less visible and difficult to clean up than lakes and rivers. Most often groundwater pollution results from the disposal of wastes improperly including household and industrial chemicals, wastewater from mines, leaking underground oil storage, oil field brine pits, garbage landfills, and sewage systems.

Prevention of groundwater pollution can be done by:

  • storing rainwater
  • watertight materials
  • collecting leachate with drains

What are Porosity and Permeability?

Porosity: It is a measure of the void spaces (pores) that exist between particles of clay, grains of sand, or pieces of gravel, in the layer. It is usually expressed as a fraction of the volume of void space divided by the total volume, and written as a percentage between 0–100%.

Permeability: It refers to the ability of water to move between these pore spaces.

Porosity and Permeability Ranges for Sediment:

Sediment Type Porosity Permeability
Uniform size sand or gravel 25-50% High
Mixed size sand and gravel 20-35% Medium
Glacial Till 10-20% Medium
Silt 35-50% Low
Clay 33-60% Low

Groundwater Recharge

Groundwater recharge is also known as deep percolation or deep drainage. It undergoes the hydrologic process, which moves surface water to groundwater. It is a primary method where water enters an aquifer. The recharge occurs at plant roots and is often known as a flux to the water table surface.

Types of groundwater recharge:

Water Cycle: Naturally, through the water cycle.

Anthropogenic Processes: Anthropogenic process is also called artificial groundwater recharge, where rainwater and reclaimed water is routed to the subsurface.

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Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Q1

What is meant by groundwater?

Groundwater is the water present below the earth’s surface and is a vast resource of water.
Q2

What is the importance of groundwater?

The groundwater is fresher and less prone to pollution. So, it is commonly used as a water supply for the public. Groundwater makes up about twenty percent of the freshwater supply of the entire world’s water, including permanent ice and oceans.
Q3

What is groundwater pollution?

Most often, groundwater pollution is due to the improper disposal of wastes, including industrial and household chemicals, leaking underground oil storage, wastewater from mines, garbage landfills, sewage systems, and oil field brine pits.
Q4

What are the solutions to preserve groundwater?

Groundwater can be preserved by using methods like storing rainwater, watertight materials, and collecting leachate with drains.
Q5

What is meant by permeability?

Permeability is the ability of water to move between these pore spaces.
Test your knowledge on Groundwater

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  1. Great so helpful for my Pg examinations 💪