An artesian well uses pipes to bring pressurized groundwater to the surface, filtered naturally by porous rock as it penetrates the earth to reach the aquifer. Artesian wells are found worldwide, and the first known well was drilled in 1126 by monks using percussion drilling.
An artesian well is a pumpless water source that uses pipes to allow pressurized groundwater to rise to the surface. This type of well appears to defy gravity because the pressure that builds between rock layers is relieved as the water finds a path into the open air. Additionally, the water has been naturally filtered because it passes through porous rock as it penetrates the earth to reach the aquifer, which is the source of underground water. For centuries, people have drilled artesian wells to drink filtered water that doesn’t need to be manually or mechanically raised from the depths.
Pressurized water
An aquifer provides the source of water for an artesian well. This is the layer of permeable rock, such as limestone or sandstone, that absorbs water from a high-altitude entry path, such as the top of a mountain. The water source could be fed by melting snow or precipitation.
The porous stone is sandwiched between an upper and lower layer of an impermeable substance, such as clay soil or shale rock. This keeps the water pressure up, so that at a point below the stream inlet, there is enough pressure for the water to rise when the pressure is released. Natural springs are formed in the same way when a gap in the impermeable rock, perhaps triggered by an earthquake, allows the water to rise to the surface. Sometimes, if the pressure is particularly strong in the aquifer, the water may rise up like a fountain and form a geyser.
Prevalence
Artesian wells are found all over the world. Entire cities have relied on giant underground aquifers to provide fresh, cold water when there are no aboveground rivers. Where modern plumbing is scarce or non-existent, people often have to rely on an artesian well for clean water. The Great Artesian Basin, which supplies fresh water to Australia’s interior, is the largest such basin in the world. Thousands of artesian wells have tapped into this aquifer.
Origin
The first known artesian well was drilled in 1126 by a group of monks who used a rod with a pointed end, called a bore, to penetrate a layer of impermeable rock until they reached an aquifer. Their percussion drilling – simply hammering on the end of the hole – broke through the rock with sheer human strength. The water that rose to the surface had percolated through pores in the rock, so that many contaminants were filtered out and it proved safer to drink than standing water from the surface or river water.
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