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About 12 percent of the Las Vegas Valley's water comes from
groundwater, which is a water supply under the Earth's surface.
In some areas, water fills the spaces throughout porous bedrock,
alluvial gravels, sands, silts and clays to form a natural reservoir.
Groundwater occurs as part of the hydrologic cycle,
which is the movement of water between the earth and the atmosphere
through evaporation and precipitation. The underground area where
groundwater exists is referred to as an aquifer.
Primary producing aquifers
Groundwater comes from three major aquifer zones (underground rock
or sediment that is permeable and can conduct water) generally situated
from 300 to 1,500 feet below land surface. This drinking-water supply
is protected from surface contamination by a layer of clay and fine-grained
sediments throughout most of the Las Vegas Valley.
Shallow groundwater system
Occasionally, news reports mention that contaminants such as pesticides
and fertilizers have been found in groundwater. These reports typically
refer to water in the shallow groundwater system, water that occurs
within 50 feet of land surface. It is separated from the primary
producing aquifers by thick layers of clay and fine-grained sediments.
This water is not used for drinking water and is often the source
of nuisance water.
Who uses groundwater?
Residents using community and domestic wells rely on groundwater
100 percent of the time to meet their water needs. There are approximately
6,700 wells within the Las Vegas Valley that provide groundwater
year-round to residents and other users who aren't on a municipal
water supply.
The Water District pumps groundwater from wells
to meet peak summer demand. During the hot summer months from May
through September, groundwater can account for up to 39 percent
of the valley's daily water supplies.
Visit the LasVegasGMP.org
Web site for more details about groundwater in the Las Vegas Valley.
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