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What is groundwater?
Groundwater is water below the surface of the land. The water is held in
the pores (holes) between soil particles. Groundwater is constantly moving.
The rate of movement depends on pore size and slope of the water table,
or hydraulic gradient. Pore size depends on particle size. For example,
sand is made up of large soil particles, therefore sand has large pore spaces
and water movement is fast. Slope of the water simply means water flows
down gradient, the steeper the gradient, the faster the flow. The slope
of the hydraulic gradient usually follows the slope of the land's surface.
As water contacts the ground it begins to filter into the ground through
a process called percolation. The filtering of water stops when all
of the pore spaces are filled. The area of the ground where all the pore
spaces are filled is called an aquifer. Aquifers are a large source
of water for the people of Michigan as well as Genesee county. Forty-three
percent of all Michigan residents rely on private groundwater wells for
drinking water. In Genesee county 56% of all residents rely on private or
publicly operated groundwater supplies. Flint and some of its outlying townships
receive surface water from Lake Huron.
How does the water cycle work?
Below is a picture of a typical water cycle. This cycle is closed, meaning that no water leaves or enters the system. The water we drink today is the same water dinosaurs drank millions of years ago. Our drinking water is constantly recycled through this process. The water vapor in that atmosphere condenses to form precipitation such as snow, hail, sleet, rain, and fog. Precipitation which reaches the earths surface either infiltrates into the groundwater, or runs off into the nearest lake or stream. Sometimes water gathers in depressions where soils drain poorly, these depressions range from puddles to lakes. Surface water is a major source of drinking water for the coastal edges of Michigan. Layers of sediment or bedrock completely saturated with water are called aquifers. The place where the aquifer begins is called the water table. These aquifers are a source of groundwater, which is in turn pumped out of the soil or bedrock, via a well, for human consumption. Water returns to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. The water then condenses, falls as precipitation and restarts the entire process.
What can I do to protect groundwater?
There are countless activities homeowners can do to protect their drinking supply. A simple yet comprehensive way of protecting groundwater is to get a Home*A*Syst booklet from the Genesee County extension office on Pasadena Avenue. Other activities which can prevent groundwater contamination include: conserving water in the home and at your worksite to prevent the migration of contaminants in the water table, eliminating or reducing the use of potentially dangerous pesticides and fertilizers, and storing liquid fuels in approved and properly labeled containers.
5 things you can
do to help keep our groundwater clean
1) Recycle. 50% of our waste can be recycled. This includes composting organic
materials and taking other products to recycling centers. Recycling means
less water used, so contaminants are less likely to be drawn to wells.
2) Use native plants to landscape your garden/yard. Native plants are adapted
to Michigan's climate and its pests, so there is a minimal need for water,
fertilizer and pesticide applications.
3) Plug up wells that are no longer in use. Open, unused wells offer contaminants
a direct link to the groundwater supply.
4) Use good fertilizer practices. Do not fertilize in the winter, as frozen
ground offers fertilizer no path for movement into the soil. If a fertilizer
cannot filter into the soil for eventual consumption by plants or microorganisms,
then it is a potential contaminant to people and water supplies. Fertilizer
on a lawn is very susceptible to people or animals walking on it and carrying
it into their houses. Also, as spring thaw occurs a fertilizer may be washed
directly into surface water by melting snow or rain.
5) Divert your stormwater into your landscape by directing downspouts to
a garden, lawn, or into a barrel for later use. By containing your stormwater,
contaminants on the pavement will not become part of the sewer water.
5 groundwater facts
1) One gallon of gasoline can contaminate
2,000,000-10,000,000 gallons of groundwater.
2) One quart of oil can contaminate up to 275,000 gallons of drinking water
or cause an oil slick almost 2 acres in size.
3) Backyard mechanics dump more used oil into Michigan's environment each
year than the Exxon Valdez spilled into Alaska's Prince William Sound.
4) The total amount of water on earth has never changed.
5) Restoring a contaminated underground water source may cost several thousand
to several billion dollars.
Report on the Aquifers of Genesee County, Michigan Groundwater Survey. Western
Michigan University, 1983.pp 23.
Contact the Groundwater Stewardship Educator
Americorps member
MSU Extension, Genesse County
G-4215 W. Pasadena Ave. Flint, MI 48504
Link to Institute for Water Research
Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to allwithout regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age,disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status. MSUE-Genesee County is funded jointly by Michigan State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Genesee County Board of Commissioners. MSU is an affirmative-action equal opportunity institution.
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