Water Sources 5-11. Internally Peer Reviewed 1. Ground water occurs in geologic formations called aquifers.
Aquifers contain saturated permeable material which yields water to wells and springs.
An aquifer serves as a transmission conduit and storage reservoir that transports water under a hydraulic or pressure gradient from recharge areas to water-collecting areas. Ground water, when available, is usually an excellent source of water supply. Such water can be expected to be clear, cool, colorless, and quite uniform in character. It is generally of better microbiological quality and contains much less organic material than surface water, but may be more highly mineralized. At present, wells serve small to medium-size installations although a system of multiple wells may be used to develop a supply for large installation.