Groundwater

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illustration of groundwater aquifer

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

In the winter, shovel the snow first and limit the use of de-icing salt
Report chemical spills
Set your water softener to the correct water hardness to reduce salt use
Reduce your water use by taking shorter showers, fixing leaky fixtures and using a rain barrel for outdoor watering
Return unused and expired medications to participating pharmacies
Only allow rain down the storm drain
Clean with "green" alternatives and natural options whenever possible
When using household chemicals, only buy what you need, use it up and dispose of leftovers safely and properly

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:

Monitoring water quality of drinking water sources
Supporting youth education through the Be Good To Your Water water education program and the Waterloo Wellington Children's Groundwater Festival
Working with businesses to improve best practices to protect water quality through Source Water Protection Plan policies
Supporting the Smart About Salt Council and other programs to reduce salt impacting groundwater

Education resources and activities

Blog: I Am Groundwater
Infographic: groundwater aquifer
Infographic: journey of water to your tap and back
Educational resources for teachers and students
Story - video (8:50m): Wally and Deanna's Groundwater Adventure (University of Waterloo)
Video playlist: learn about groundwater (Waterloo Wellington Children's Groundwater Festival)