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.