Groundwater Systems
When you turn on the water to wash your hands just before dinner, you probably do not think much about where that water comes from. What part of the water cycle is supplying you with water for your home? In the U.S., there is a 50-50 chance that your house is supplied by an underground source of water, called groundwater. The other choice is surface water, such as river water. Groundwater is the water stored in the pore spaces of rocks and soils underground. It is a part of the water cycle and is naturally refilled by precipitation and runoff that infiltrate the soil. It can then be pumped to your house by a well and through pipes.
A system is a collection of parts that work together to create a whole—like the motor, gears, and belts that work together to make your car go. There is likewise a groundwater system made up of parts that work together to accomplish the work of collecting and moving groundwater. There are several parts of the groundwater system that we cannot directly see. As you go through the next few pages, you will learn about some of the parts of the groundwater system.
