Ground water is water below the land surface that fills the spaces between grains of sediment and rocks, or fills cracks and fractures in the rock. Saturated zones in sediment such as sand and gravel, and in fractured rock formations, that receive, store, and transmit water to wells are called aquifers. Clean and plentiful ground water is a vital resource for personal and economic health everywhere in the United States. Each day, over 130 million Americans get their drinking water from ground water. About 40 million are supplied from individual home wells.
Ground water is a safe, economic and environmentally friendly resource.
We don't need to dam up rivers and disturb ecology to store water. Mother Nature has made the rocks of the earth as a natural storage place for ground water. We can all play a role in protecting America's ground water. Private well owners have a special responsibility to ensure the safety of their drinking water. Water in aquifers comes from rain and melted snow that filters through the soil.