What happens to an aquifer during a drought?
During severe droughts, people rely heavily on groundwater—the water held underground in aquifers. An aquifer can become depleted when more water is pumped out of it than is replenished by rainfall or other water sources. If the water level drops below the point of your pump intake, the pump could be damaged.
How can an aquifer be recharged naturally after a drought?
Artificial recharge directs excess surface water or recycled wastewater into aquifers through injection wells or by spreading water on the surface to increase soil infiltration and percolation to the aquifer. The recharged water can then be withdrawn during droughts or periods of high demand.
What causes aquifer depletion?
The volume of groundwater in storage is decreasing in many areas of the United States in response to pumping. Groundwater depletion is primarily caused by sustained groundwater pumping.
Will groundwater run out?
Groundwater is being pumped faster than it can be naturally replenished. The Central Valley Aquifer in California underlies one of the nation’s most agriculturally productive regions, but it is in drastic decline and has lost about ten cubic miles of water in just four years.
What happens when groundwater is over pumped?
Excessive pumping can lower the groundwater table, and cause wells to no longer be able to reach groundwater. Excessive pumping in coastal areas can cause saltwater to move inland and upward, resulting in saltwater contamination of the water supply.
What is the constant temperature of groundwater?
Have you ever noticed that the temperature of water from wells is remarkably constant? In wells that are from 30 to 60 feet deep, the water temperature is 2° to 3°F above the annual mean temperature of the locality. Water decreases in temperature about 1°F for every 64 feet of depth to the well.
How hot is shower water?
105 degrees Fahrenheit
Where water comes out from under the ground?
Areas where the groundwater seeps out of the ground are called discharge areas. These are wetlands, streams, or lakes. The area that contributes its groundwater to a particular stream or lake is called a watershed.
What is clean water called?
Potable water, also known as drinking water, comes from surface and ground sources and is treated to levels that that meet state and federal standards for consumption. Water from natural sources is treated for microorganisms, bacteria, toxic chemicals, viruses and fecal matter.
Do we drink treated wastewater?
water that has been treated by a sewage-treatment plant till it is so pure that it (could be) consumed. Naturally, people will not be inclined to drink reclaimed water, even if it is indeed pure enough, but there are many other uses for reclaimed wastewater.