Groundwater

Water taken from underground aquifers is defined as groundwater. Some characteristics of groundwater supplies include the following:

• They comprise most of the water supply systems in the U.S.
• They are generally considered safer than surface waters supplies because soil acts as a filter as water moves from the surface to the aquifer
• They can become contaminated from contaminants in the ground, deposited on the soil surface, or in surface waters that affect the aquifer