We re never going to be able to afford to extend water lines to the entire rural sector, nor should we. The groundwater flow systems which supply water to our rural wells are shallow and local, rather than regional, in extent. Much of the recharge to these shallow flow systems occurs in the upland areas of our own watershed, maybe on our own property or on nearby neighboring property. During periods of dry weather, much of the flow in our streams and rivers is due to groundwater discharge. Contaminated groundwater can make its way into surface streams, and ultimately into our water supply reservoirs.
Undisturbed forest is the ideal land cover for enhancing groundwater recharge.
Decaying leaf and tree litter serves as a sponge that soaks up rainwater, and feeds it to subsurface rock fractures through which groundwater flows. Changes in land use in recharge areas can alter the balance between surface water runoff and groundwater recharge. When land cover changes from forest to houses, lawns and paved roads, a larger percentage of rainwater runs off along the surface, and less water soaks into the ground as recharge. Land use decisions on land parcels that happen to be zones of groundwater recharge have very real implications for existing groundwater users on other parcels. Septic fields are probably the biggest threat to groundwater quality in the rural sector of the County.