What is ground water?

[Banjo Bud]

If a well is 10’ deep, are you drinking ground water? What about 20’, 30’, 50’? Where is the line between ground water and underground water? Isn’t all water essentially ground water? Didn’t it all come from above ground At one point? This is a serious question.

 

[Boycedrilling]

As I usually say, definitions are important.

There are basically two types of water for the purposes of our discussion. Surface water and ground water

surface water is exactly what the name implies. It is an ocean, lake, river, stream, etc. If surface soaks into the ground, it becomes...... ground water

ground water is found under the land surface. It’s as simple as that. No not really. If you pump it out of the ground and the excess runs off and ponds, it becomes.....surface water.

Ground water is ground water regardless of its depth. Doesn’t matter if it’s 6 inches, 6 feet or 600 feet it’s all groundwater.

there are different rights that a property owner has depending on whether it is surface water or ground water. These rights vary state by state. What is true in one state may not be true in another state.

western water law is very different than eastern states. Some states you have the right to extract as much water as you want inside your property boundaries. In other states the water belongs to the state and you must obtain a water right to extract the water.

for example, I live in Washington, a western water law state. Any use of surface water, no matter how small requires obtaining a water right from the state. This is also true for ground water, except for certain exempt uses. Which are defined as stock watering, single family domestic use, irrigation of 1/2 acre or less, and commercial or industrial uses not to exceed 5,000 gallons per day. You do not have the right to harvest rainwater because it is....surface water. Unless it infiltrates into the ground and then it becomes.....ground water.


now due to litigation we also have ground water, under the influence of surface water, but that’s probably beyond the scope of this discussion.

clear as water?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[VAWellDriller]

If it comes from the ground, it's ground water. I think you're referring to surface water, which MAY include direct runoff and relatively young rainwater. Different states and different geologist may have slightly different opinions, but here, we draw the line at the first competent confining clay layer. That may be 10' deep or it may be 100' deep depending on where you are. Above is considered surface water.

 

[VAWellDriller]

let me clarify....its still ground water, but above confining clay layer would be said to be under influence of surface water and generally undesirable.

 

[Reach4]

I would think the degree of filtering through soil would make the difference-- enough filtering to take the E. coli out at least.

 

[Boycedrilling]

Banjo Bud;

yes All water came from above ground at SOME point in the past. Research the Hydrological cycle. Basically we do not create new water, not do we destroy water. Have to split or combine molecules to do that. Remember water can exist as a gas, liquid, or solid.

 

[Banjo Bud]

Thanks for the great info guys. So I had a spring that came up out of the ground and then formed a stream and flowed down a hill. I snaked a perforated pipe along the ground where it came out of the ground, then I covered this pipe up with about 8’ of soil. Then I let it sit for 6 years. Last year I tested the water coming out of the pipe and it was really good so I decided to use it for my house water. Do I need to worry about anything?

 

[Valveman]

No matter where the water comes from, have it tested. Ground water from 5' to 2000' can be as clean as any bottled water, or it can be contaminated. When there is a path from the surface to the water table any depth of ground water can be contaminated. When the well and area is sealed properly, surface water will become clean when it goes through a few feet of dirt and becomes ground water. Earth is a pretty good water filter. However, there are things that can be found naturally in the earth that can also dissolve into ground water. Test and treat or filter if needed.

 

[Banjo Bud]

How often should I test it?

 

[Valveman]

In a deep well where the seal hasn't been broken, nothing is likely to change. I haven't tested mine in 12-15 years. But I don't know where the spring water is coming from, so I would probably test every year or so. If I got several clean tests in a row I might skip a year or two.

 

[WorthFlorida]

If you have a septic field and most homes in your area have septic fields, where you draw water is very important.