Surface Water vs. Groundwater

Water can be found  on the Earth’s surface (surface water)  or under the Earth’s surface (groundwater). Characteristics of both are listed below.

Surface Water

• Water present in lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, snow, glaciers, and rainfall
• Connected to groundwater via springs, wells, unconfined aquifers

Groundwater

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Groundwater

• Water present underground, filling cracks and open spaces in sand, gravel and rock
• Rain and snow soak into the ground, recharging the groundwater supply
• Makes up nearly 50% of the drinking water in the State of Michigan
• Pollutants dumped on the ground or into an uncapped well can seep into groundwater, making it unsafe to use and costly or impossible to remediate