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.

Help keep salt out of groundwater

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. Overtime, the salt can mix with groundwater and cause it to taste salty.

Visit the Region of Waterloo's salt management page to learn more.

Actions you can take to protect groundwater

For more ideas, read 9 actions you can take and visit the Region of Waterloo's water protection web page.

What the Region of Waterloo is doing to protect groundwater

Through water protection programs, the Region of Waterloo is:

Education resources and activities

Contact Us