Water in the Bank

WELLOG Water in the Bank

By Chuck Merritt, WELLOG

Last month we left off with our discussion of Water, Cool, Clear, Water and the conclusion that the water we use on a daily basis comes from rainfall. It’s part of the “Hydrological Cycle”! As we enter into “monsoon season” we may see the inundation of water as a mixed blessing! Roads get washed out. Some roads may become temporarily impassable. Weeds really grow this time of year, and the mosquitoes are ferocious. Where does the water go? It goes into the bank! Some of the monsoon water evaporates and that is what makes the humidity so high. The rest goes into the Bank. This area needs rainfall to recharge (put water back into) the bank. The “Bank” in this case is the underground aquifer or aquifers that are able to store water for future use.

WHAT’S AN AQUIFER?

When water migrates into the earth, it moves through layers of earth that filter and purify it. The area surrounding Papago Butte receives much of the local rainfall. That rainfall is channeled into washes and eventually into fractures in the formations below. Mica, sand, and other natural filters remove impurities and make the water suitable for drinking. Eventually, the water fills an area that is porous like a sponge. Layers beneath us that are porous and have capacity to be filled with water are called aquifers.

When a water well is drilled into an aquifer, the water is pumped back up to the surface and used for all of the things we need water for in our daily lives. Water wells allow us to withdraw water from the Bank! We know the Bank is there. We know we have something in the Bank.

HOW MUCH IS IN THE BANK?

The question that should have the greatest importance is - How much is in the Bank? In order to know the answer to that question we need to know the capacity of the Bank to hold water. How porous is the aquifer? How thick is the aquifer? How many acres of the aquifer are available to produce water? An example is an aquifer 100 feet thick that has 20 percent porosity and covers 4 acres. The capacity of that aquifer is 20 feet times 4 acres which is equal to 80 acre feet. One acre foot of water is equal to 325,851 gallons of water. So, if our aquifer is full to capacity, then we could have over 26 million gallons of water in the Bank on our four acres!

HOW BIG IS THE BANK?

In order to know how big the Bank is, it must be measured. Tools are available to measure the thickness of water producing aquifers and the porosity. The water level within a given aquifer can be measured. WELLOG has the tools to identify the aquifer and measure the thickness and porosity of an aquifer. A final measure of the water level tells you How big the bank is. In the present condition of continued drought in Arizona, it is important to know how our savings ( in gallons) are doing. Feel free to contact WELLOG with any questions about water you may have.