Where Does the Water for Your Well Come From?

Where Does the Water for Your Well Come From

Where Does the Water for Your Well Come From?

When obtaining well water for your home, you may find yourself pondering where the water actually comes from. While your water pump does a great job of bringing the water into your home, the water obviously has to be found from somewhere else. While water can be found all over the place in the form of oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, it is also found within the earth in places where you cannot necessarily see it from the surface. Generally speaking, this water makes it to a well in one of three ways. Here is a look at those three types of wells.

Standard Water Well

The standard water well that most people encounter is obtained from aquifers within the earth. An aquifer is an underground layer of permeable rocks and other materials, such as silt, sand and gravel. These materials hold the water within until it is drawn out by a pump. The water reaches the aquifers simply due to gravity, which pulls water into the earth from the surface. The water automatically finds its way to the aquifers from here. 

Spring-Fed Wells

Less frequently, a well may also be fed by a spring. In these cases, a natural spring adds to the groundwater that is available. While they do not always break through the surface of the earth, they can still serve as a source of underground water. As such, spring-fed wells are most commonly found in areas where underground natural springs feed the groundwater supply. The pump then draws the water that is provided by the natural spring. 

Artesian Wells

In areas where the water has escaped from the aquifer due to joints of faults within the earth, the water then forms naturally in artesian springs. Artesian springs are most commonly found in air plain regions located next to mountains. Since the rock layer beneath the earth’s surface is impermeable, artesian wells are dug where the porous rock layer receives water at a higher level than at the groundwater level. As such, the water flows due to hydrostatic pressure. 

Regardless of the type of well that you wish to install in your property, Pump Service Idaho will be happy to work with you to set up the appropriate pump system to obtain the water you need. 

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