How deep do you have to dig to reach the water table?
You will need to dig at least 30 feet below the surface to find high-quality water. But you’ll need to dig even deeper to find better water that will be the safest for your family to drink. The water table rises and falls throughout the year.
How do I find the water table level?
One of the basic methods for determining water table levels is the water table test. This test consists of drilling a hole to a depth of 3 metres, allowing the water to stabilise, then measuring the distance from the groundwater to the water level.
What is the water table level?
The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated.
When does the depth of the water table change?
The depth to the water table can change (rise or fall) depending on the time of year. During the late winter and spring when accumulated snow starts to melt and spring rainfall is plentiful, water on the surface of the earth infiltrates into the ground and the water table rises.
How can you tell how deep the water table is in a well?
The most reliable method of obtaining the depth to the water table at any given time is to measure the water level in a shallow well with a tape. If no wells are available, surface geophysical methods can sometimes be used, depending on surface accessibility for placing electric or acoustic probes.
How to get real time water data from USGS?
Explore the NEW USGS National Water Dashboard interactive map to access real-time water data from over 13,500 stations nationwide. Real-time text and e-mail alerts are now available.
Why does the water table rise in the spring?
During the late winter and spring when accumulated snow starts to melt and spring rainfall is plentiful, water on the surface infiltrates into the ground and the water table rises. When water-loving plants start to grow again in the spring and precipitation gives way to hot, dry summers, the water table falls because of evapotranspiration.