What is the difference between groundwater and surface water?

Question

We have had info that the water authority will not adopt drainage on our new estate because the groundwater/land drains have been connected to the surface water systems. I don't understand the difference between the two. Is this a fundamental error by the developers?

Answer 1

Groundwater is a hidden resource, while surface water is the water we see, such as rain water, lakes and ponds.

Groundwater is the water that saturates the tiny spaces between alluvial material (sand, gravel, silt, clay) or the crevices or fractures in rocks.

Surfice water is the water which is seen by naked eyes on the ground, from rain, rivers, ponds, lakes, etc., etc.

Water. It's vital for all of us. We depend on its good quality-and quantity-for drinking, recreation, use in industry and growing crops. It also is vital to sustaining the natural systems on and under the earth's surface. At one time, its purity and availability were taken for granted. Now contamination and availability are serious issues.

Here are some interesting facts to consider...

Scientists estimate groundwater accounts for more than 95% of
all fresh water available for use.

Approximately 50% of Americans obtain all or part of their
drinking water from groundwater.

Nearly 95% of rural residents rely on groundwater for their
drinking supply.

About half of irrigated cropland uses groundwater.

Approximately one third of industrial water needs are fulfilled by
using groundwater.

About 40% of river flow nationwide (on average) depends on
groundwater.

Thus, groundwater is a critical component of management plans developed by an increasing number of watershed partnerships.

Groundwater and surface water are fundamentally interconnected. In fact, it is often difficult to separate the two because they "feed" each other. This is why one can contaminate the other.

To better understand the connection, take a closer look at the various zones and actions. A way to study this is by understanding how water recycles ... the hydrologic (water) cycle.

As rain or snow falls to the earth's surface:

Some water runs off the land to rivers, lakes, streams and
oceans (surface water).

Water also can move into those bodies by percolation below
ground.

Water entering the soil can...

infiltrate deeper to reach groundwater
which can discharge to surface water or return to the surface
through wells, springs and marshes.

Here it becomes surface water again.

And, upon evaporation, it completes the cycle.

This movement of water between the earth and the atmosphere through evaporation, precipitation, infiltration and runoff is continuous.

How groundwater "feeds" surface water.

One of the most commonly used forms of groundwater comes from unconfined shallow water table aquifers.

These aquifers are major sources of drinking and irrigation water. They also interact closely with streams, sometimes flowing (discharging) water into a stream or lake and sometimes receiving water from the stream or lake.

An unconfined aquifer that feeds streams is said to provide the stream's baseflow. (This is called a gaining stream.) In fact, groundwater can be responsible for maintaining the hydrologic balance of surface streams, springs, lakes, wetlands and marshes.

This is why successful watershed partnerships with a special interest in a particular stream, lake or other surface waterbody always have a special interest in the unconfined aquifer, adjacent to the water body.

How surface water "feeds" groundwater.

Answer 2

How Groundwater and Surface Water connect.

It's crystal clear. Groundwater and surface water are fundamentally interconnected. In fact, it is often difficult to separate the two because they "feed" each other. This is why one can contaminate the other.

A closer look.
To better understand the connection, take a closer look at the various zones and actions. A way to study this is by understanding how water recycles ... the hydrologic (water) cycle.

As rain or snow falls to the earth's surface:
Some water runs off the land to rivers, lakes, streams and
oceans (surface water).
Water also can move into those bodies by percolation below
ground.
Water entering the soil can...
infiltrate deeper to reach groundwater
which can discharge to surface water or return to the surface
through wells, springs and marshes.
Here it becomes surface water again.
And, upon evaporation, it completes the cycle.

This movement of water between the earth and the atmosphere through evaporation, precipitation, infiltration and runoff is continuous.

How groundwater "feeds" surface water.
One of the most commonly used forms of groundwater comes from unconfined shallow water table aquifers.

These aquifers are major sources of drinking and irrigation water. They also interact closely with streams, sometimes flowing (discharging) water into a stream or lake and sometimes receiving water from the stream or lake.

An unconfined aquifer that feeds streams is said to provide the stream's baseflow. (This is called a gaining stream.) In fact, groundwater can be responsible for maintaining the hydrologic balance of surface streams, springs, lakes, wetlands and marshes.

This is why successful watershed partnerships with a special interest in a particular stream, lake or other surface waterbody always have a special interest in the unconfined aquifer, adjacent to the water body.

How surface water "feeds" groundwater.
The source of groundwater (recharge) is through precipitation or surface water that percolates downward. Approximately 5-50% (depending on climate, land use, soil type, geology and many other factors) of annual precipitation results in groundwater recharge. In some areas, streams literally recharge the aquifer through stream bed infiltration, called losing streams.

Left untouched, groundwater naturally arrives at a balance, discharging and recharging depending on hydrologic conditions.

Answer 3

They will not adopt it because your Storm Water (surface) is draining via the ground water system, so they don't have to adopt your storm water system.
It means your developers have designed the stormwater to drain into the Soil/ land around the development.
The Water Authority will only adopt it if the surface water goes via a pipe straght into an existing stream or storm drain that has already been adopted.

Answer 4

groundwater - within the ground (in gaps between soil particles etc)
surface water - water on the surface of the land (puddles, and running water over the surface after rain)

Answer 5

groundwater - not visible until found, as in an undug well. surface - visible, as in a bubbling spring.

Answer 6

ground water may be either much freshly and tastier than the surface water if the area is still virgin or much salty and dirtier if there are factories etc nearby