Groundwater

Waterloo Region relies on groundwater for drinking water. Unlike surface water in rivers and lakes, groundwater is hidden. Where you are standing right now, there could be groundwater underneath you. It might take some digging to get to it, but it's there.

You can find groundwater in an aquifer; layers of sand, rock and gravel. Groundwater is the rain or melted snow that soaks into the ground filling the void spaces between sand grains, rock or gravel, moving ever so slowly - about a few metres every year.

I am Groundwater and I'm worth protecting

In the winter, de-icing salt - including environmentally-friendly ice melters - put on the ground to keep us safe can be damaging to groundwater. After the salt melts the ice, it doesn't go away. Over time the salt can soak into the ground and mix with groundwater and cause it to taste salty.

Visit the Region of Waterloo's salt management page for ideas on how you can help keep salt out of groundwater.