SUBSURFACE

GROUNDWATER AND
WATER TABLE
Geology for Civil Engineers

GROUP 4
Amer Hakam A. Bantuas
Moh'd Al-farissy M. Macabato
Moh'd Ghaylani Marohombsar
Moh'd Noor Macacuna
Rahim Macarambon
Ren T. Banac
Yusri Hakim
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 2 3 4 5
Definitio
History Formation Types of Methods
n
Groundwater

6 7 8 9 10
Groundwater Sustainable Groundwater Sources of Impacts of
Flow, Quality, & Groundwater Contamination Groundwater Groundwater
Distribution Management Contamination Contamination

11 12 13 14 15
Groundwater &
Philippine
Prevention & Water Table Factors affecting
Mitigation water table water table Water
fluctuation Crisis
TRIVIA DID YOU KNOW?
 Did you know that our
planet Earth was known
as Blue Planet?
About 71% of the Earth’s surface
is Water-Covered
 100% H2O

0.3%
99.7%
Is usable by human
Ocean, Soil, Ice craps
and floating in the
atmosphere

97%
From ocean

0.3% is sustainable but

unattainable!
 ANOTHER TRIVIA

Slow Flow: Groundwater moves very

World's Largest Aquifer: The Great
slowly, often only few centimeters to
Artisan Basin in Australia and the
meters per day, depending on the
deepest aquifers, covering an area of
permeability of the underground
about 1.7 million square kilometers.
 Definition of
01 Subsurface
Groundwater and
Water Table
 SUBSURFACE GROUNDWATER
ANDGroundwater"
"Subsurface WATER TABLE is stored in
the spaces between soil, sand, and rock
beneath the Earth's surface. It’s a crucial
resource for drinking, irrigation, and
ecosystems.

The “Water Table” is the upper boundary

of this groundwater, changing with rainfall
and extraction.
 History of
02 Subsurface
Groundwater and
Water Table
 HISTORY OF SUBSURFACE
 Ancient Civilization: Where early human
GROUNDWATER AND WATER TABLE
settlements were established near spring and
wells.
 384—322 BC: The Greek philosopher Aristotle
made early observations.
 Roman Empire: Aqueducts and wells were
constructed.
 In the 17th Century: French Hydraulic engineer
Pierre Perrault and naturalist Edme Mariotte
studying the hydrological cycle.
 In the 19th Century: Henry Darcy a French
engineer, developed Darcy's Law, a fundamental
equation.
 In the 20th Century: Scientists leading to a
deeper understanding of how groundwater
interacts with surface water and the
environment.
 AQUA
APPIA
 The first Aqueduct in the
world that can be seen in
Rome
 Constructed in 312 BCE by
Appius Claudius Caesus
 Formation of
03 Groundwater
FORMATION OF GROUNDWATER

Groundwater begins with infiltration of

water from precipitation, which
percolates down through the soil and
accumulates in aquifers, a natural
underground reservoirs that store water.
PRECIPATAION DISPERSED IN THREE (3)
WAYS

a). Evaporation and by b). Direct runoff in C). By infiltration into

transpiration form plants rivers and streams The ground
 Types of
13
Groundwater
 THREE (3) TYPES OF
GROUNDWATER
Freshwater— Groundwater that has low
concentrations of dissolved salts,
making it suitable for drinking and
irrigation.

Brackish Water— Groundwater with

higher salinity than freshwater but lower
than seawater, often found in coastal
areas or under certain geological
conditions.

Saltwater Intrusion— Occurs when

seawater moves into freshwater aquifers,
typically due to over-extraction of
04Methods of Groundwater
Exploration
DRILLING
WELLS
CONDUCTING
GEOPHYSICAL
SURVEYS
 Types of
04 Aquifers
 TYPES OF AQUIFERS
CONFINED AQUIFERS UNCONFINED PERCHED AQUIFERS
AQUIFERS

that are trapped which are directly that sit above

between recharged by the main water
impermeable surface water. table due to
layers of rock. underlying
impermeable
layers.
05 Groundwater
flow, distribution,
and Quality
GROUNDWATER FLOW
Groundwater flow occurs from
areas of high pressure or
elevation to areas of lower
pressure, influenced by the
hydraulic gradient and the
permeability of the surrounding
materials, determining the
speed and direction of the flow.
 GROUNDWATER QUALITY

Groundwater Quality the quality of

groundwater changes as it flows
through different rock layers,
dissolving minerals and picking up
potential contaminants from human
activities such as agriculture,
industry, and waste disposal.
 GROUND WATER
DISTRIBUTION
Groundwater Distribution
Ground water is stored in
underground aquifers,
which collect water from
rainfall and surface water
that seeps down through
soil and rock layers.
 Groundwater flow,
04
distribution, and
Quality
Sustainable groundwater
management— focuses on
balancing groundwater extraction
with natural recharge rates,
implementing conservation
practices, protecting recharge areas,
and developing policies to ensure
long-term water security.
 IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE
GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT
Growing Water Demand–Population growth,
urbanization, and increased agricultural
production are putting increasing pressure on
water resources, including groundwater.

Climate Change– Climate change is altering

rainfall patterns, leading to more frequent
droughts and exacerbating water scarcity
issues.

Groundwater Depletion–Overpumping of
groundwater can deplete aquifers, leading to
declining water levels, saltwater intrusion in
coastal areas, and land subsidence.
06 Groundwater
Contamination
Groundwater Contamination
Groundwater contamination
occurs when pollutants from
sources such as agricultural
runoff, industrial discharges, or
leaking septic systems seep into
the groundwater, posing serious
risks to drinking water supplies
and ecosystem health.
TWO (2) SOURCES OF GROUNDWATER
CONTAMINATION
1. Human activities: consist of
the following;

• Septic system
• Hazardous Disposal Watse
• Underground Storage Tank
• Mining
• Pesticide and Fertilizer use
• Landfills
SOURCES OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION
2. Natural sources: consist of the Examples
following;
Naturally Occurring Substances
Nitrates- Found in the soil
These are substances that exist from the breakdown of
naturally in the environment and
organic matter (like
can contaminate groundwater when decaying plants).
they dissolve into it.
Arsenic- Found in certain
Geogenic sources
types of rocks.
These are substances specifically
released from rocks through
natural processes like weathering,
erosion, or leaching.
 THREE (3) IMPACTS OF
HealthGROUNDWATER
Risks: Drinking contaminated CONTAMINATION
groundwater can lead to various health issues,
including gastrointestinal distress, hepatitis,
methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome), and
increased cancer risk.

Ecosystem Damage: Contaminated

groundwater can harm aquatic life, disrupt food
chains, and degrade the overall health of
ecosystems.

Economic Impacts: Cleaning up contaminated

groundwater can be expensive, requiring
extensive remediation efforts and potentially
leading to the abandonment of water sources.
10 PREVENTION AND
MITIGATION
 PROPER
WASTE
DISPOSAL
 SAFE
CHEMICAL
STORAGE
MINIMIZE
CHEMICAL
USE
 REGULAR
INSPECTION
LAND USE
PLANNING
Water Table
The “water table”- is the
upper boundary of the
saturated zone where
groundwater fills all the
available spaces in soil or
rock, and it can rise or fall
depending on factors like
precipitation and
groundwater extraction.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE WATER TABLE

 Recharge occurs through

precipitation and infiltration.

 Discharge happens through

evaporation, transpiration, and
groundwater flow into rivers or
lakes.

 Human Activities Pumping from

wells, land use changes, and
construction.
 Groundwater and
11 Water Table
Fluctuations
Groundwater and
Water Table
Fluctuations
The “water table”- is not
static; it fluctuates seasonally
due to changes in precipitation,
snowmelt, and human activities
like over-extraction for
irrigation or industrial use, with
potential long-term effects from
climate change.
12 EQUIPMENTS
Water Sampler
Used to collect water
samples for laboratory
analysis
 Water Quality
Meter
Used to measure various
parameters such as pH,
conductivity, dissolved oxygen,
turbidity, etc. to assess water
quality
Water Level
Gauges
Used to measure the
depth of water in
streams, rivers, ground
water, and reservoir.
Groundwate
r Monitoring
Used to monitor the
changes in the level of
quality of groundwater
 Flow
Meter
Used to measure the rate
of water flow.
IMPORTANCE OF GROUND WATER
AND WTAER TABLE
Drinking water
supply Ecosystem
support
Water quality
regulation Stability of ground
structure
Agricultural
Irrigation
 Philippine Water
13 Crisis
 Philippine Water Crisis
Lack of Sanitation • Typhoon
• 25 Billion Filipino Impact
Lack of Access
Sanitation
Suffering Children
• 55 Filipino die daily
Lack to Safe Water
from water related
• 8 Billion Filipino
disease
Lack Access to Safe
Water
Ways to increase water supply and conserve
water
Bar screen
Water
treatment
plant

Aeration Clarifie
Tank Disinfectant
r
Grit tank

Settling tank
Digest
er
Receiving
water
Sand drying bed

Compost

Sewerage system
“Thousand have lived without
love, not one without water”

W.H. Auden
“In every drop of water, there is a story of
life"

Leena Arif
References:

Aristotle. (340 BC). Meteorology. Retrieved from [ancient texts repository or online
library].
Vitruvius. (1st century BC). De Architectura. Retrieved from [ancient texts repository or
online library].
Perrault, P. (1674). De l’origine des fontaines. Retrieved from [historical texts repository
or library].
Mariotte, E. (1686). Memoires pour servir à l’histoire de l’acquisition des fontaines.
Retrieved from [historical texts repository or library].
Darcy, H. (1856). Recherches expérimentales sur le mouvement de l’eau dans les
tuyaux. Retrieved from [historical texts repository or library].
Websites and Online Resources
Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. (n.d.).
Great Artesian Basin. Retrieved from
[https://www.agriculture.gov.au/water/groundwater/great-artesian-basin](https://
www.agriculture.gov.au/water/groundwater/great-artesian-basin)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). (n.d.). Groundwater. Retrieved from
[https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/groundwater](https://
www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/groundwater)
Journal of Archaeological Science. (Various articles). Retrieved from [journal database].