People can use, analyze, transport, and treat groundwater with the help of groundwater services. It can be found in the pores between soil particles, as well as in the cracks, crevices, and caverns of rocky formations. Consulting firms that conduct scientific and engineering studies, as well as contractors who drill wells and install pumps and other groundwater equipment, provide various types of groundwater services.
An aquifer is a large underground body of sediment or rock that is saturated with groundwater that humans use for drinking, agriculture, and industry. There are thousands of aquifers around the world, some just beneath the ground surface and others thousands of feet (hundreds of meters) below. Given the ever-increasing demand for water, many groundwater services are devoted to locating aquifers that will yield high-quality groundwater and pumping it to the surface via wells.
The scientific study of how groundwater accumulates and moves beneath the earth is known as hydrogeology. Hydrogeologists calculate aquifer properties such as groundwater amounts, flows, and directions using measured data, mathematical equations, and computer models. This data aids scientists and engineers in determining the best locations for wells and predicting how much water the wells will be able to supply.
Aquifer characterization is a groundwater service that combines hydrogeology and well pump testing into one package. Companies conduct well tests and pumping tests to characterize aquifer properties and analyze the chemical properties of groundwater. They also decide how deep wells should be drilled and where they should be drilled.
Some groundwater services are dedicated to improving groundwater quality. Because of its high salt content, groundwater can be unfit for human consumption. This happens along the coast and in some geological formations. Pollutants can contaminate groundwater as well. The contaminants could seep into the groundwater from above or be introduced underground by leaking pipes or tanks.
Sampling and monitoring of groundwater are also common groundwater services. Installation of special test wells or the use of existing groundwater supply wells are used for sampling. Water samples are collected and sent to a laboratory to be analyzed for chemical and mineral composition. Groundwater monitoring entails taking samples from specific wells over time to see how the quality of the groundwater changes.
Groundwater remediation is another service that involves cleaning contaminated groundwater. Pumping groundwater to the surface and running it through treatment systems to remove contaminants is frequently required. The treated water can be pumped back into the ground, discharged into bodies of water, or used for other purposes.
Groundwater modeling is a service that involves simulating groundwater flows and behavior using software. Models can predict whether and how contaminants in groundwater will change as the water interacts with rocks and sediments with varying mineral compositions. Chemical fate and transport analysis is the term for this. In addition, computer models can predict how well pumping will affect the amount of groundwater in an aquifer over time.
The process of dewatering is the removal of groundwater that flows into depressions or holes dug into the ground. Large depressions are frequently created by construction and mining companies as part of their normal operations, and they typically want the depressions to stay dry. Pumps and other equipment are used by dewatering services to remove water from depressions and direct it away from the area.