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Groundwater is one segment of the earth's water circulation network or hydrologic cycle, previously discussed in detail, and has its origin in antiquity.
Groundwater is commonly understood to mean water occupying all the voids within a geologic formation. This saturated zone (water-filled area) is not to be confused with unsaturated, or aeration, zones where voids are filled with a mix of air and water or air only. Simply put, groundwater is the water below the surface of the earth that feeds wells and springs and helps to maintain lake levels in dry weather.
The groundwater (saturated) zone can be described as a gigantic natural reservoir or network of chambers within the earth's loose and discontinuous overburden of decayed rock debris whose capacity is the total volume of its openings or pores that are filled with water. Location of the groundwater zone in a specific site is governed by each respective geology, formation, movement, recharge, and other characteristics. For these reasons, it is impossible to adequately tabulate or even summarize all types of geologic environments where water may exist. Therefore, since this is not the purpose of this manual, it is suggested that the reader consult the professional literature for detailed specifics.
Development of groundwater dates from ancient cultures and the Bible's Old and New Testaments make innumerable references to groundwater wells and springs. In fact, some of the construction methods of old still are in use, especially in the third world countries and...
