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Groundwater is a valuable resource, but excessive consumption, contamination, and property damage can cause problems. Sources of underground water include rainfall, springs, and permafrost. Contamination can lead to health risks and property damage, and overuse can cause shortages.
The water beneath the earth’s surface is groundwater and is often considered a valuable resource. While groundwater can help people in many ways, there are often a number of groundwater problems that people may be facing. These include excessive consumption, contamination and property damage.
There are various sources of underground water. The replenishments could be the result of water passing through the ground after rainfall falls. There may also be underground springs or permafrost-derived water.
These water supplies are used by different people for different reasons. People dig wells for household use. Municipalities extract water to supply households who do not have their own wells. Businesses, such as farms and car washes, also depend on large quantities of water, which they usually receive from municipal sources.
Although groundwater is generally considered a renewable resource, meaning supplies will be replenished, there are chances that groundwater problems can arise when these resources are overused. Natural supply does not mean that supplies are unlimited. If too much water is used before sustainable levels can be restored, users could face shortages. In some cases, it may be necessary to dig deeper wells to access new supplies.
Other groundwater problems can occur when water supplies become contaminated. Surface pollution is a source of contamination. Toxins can leach into the water and make it unfit for consumption. In other cases, the water can be contaminated by waste landfilled in landfills, runoff from agriculture, and contact with seawater.
Groundwater problems caused by contamination can pose serious health risks. Agricultural runoff that contains animal feces, for example, can lead to human gastrointestinal infections. Toxic contamination can cause more serious health problems such as cancer and birth defects. Contaminated groundwater can also pose a threat to livestock, which can impact food supplies.
In addition to groundwater problems, other problems can be caused by groundwater. Groundwater can cause property damage, for example. This is often true with buildings that have basements. Sometimes the ground becomes oversaturated with back-up rainwater from a sewage system. Other times, soil oversaturation can be the result of inadequate drainage on a property.
Damage is often caused when water from the ground seeps through holes or cracks in the floor. These entry points do not have to be large or obvious to cause groundwater problems. Once an area of the floor is damp, the moisture can seep into the walls or underside of furniture, causing these items to decompose.
