You will either have to stop pumping and wait for recharge or drill a deeper well. Overpumping can cause problems at the surface, as well. If you drain the water from an aquifer, the pore space may collapse, causing the material to shrink and the surface to become depressed. This surface depression is called subsidence , and is a major problem for some parts of the world. In some areas of the world, the Earth's surface is subsiding at a rate of one foot per year as a result of overpumping.
Water flows faster in a layer of high permeability than a layer with low permeability.
More water will flow through a wider pipe than through a narrower pipe. This equation is called Darcy's Law . Through lab and field experiments, hydrologists have been able to find flow speeds for kinds of aquifers. Groundwater Contamination Clearly, if groundwater flows that slowly, anything which contaminates the water will be there for a long time. I think not.