Groundwater is the water that is present beneath Earth´s surface in saturated zone that is in direct contact with the ground or subsoil and moves naturally through the underground environment, driven by gravitational forces and pressure gradients, creating a dynamic subsurface flow system.
Overview
Groundwater is the main source of fresh water that is mainly used as a drinking water in Estonia.
The volume of Estonian groundwater is estimated to be 2000 km3 (Geology and Mineral Resources of Estonia https://geoloogia.info/geology/index.html). While groundwater is a valuable resource, both natural characteristics and human activities can affect its quality, necessitating treatment before consumption to meet safety standards. This processing ensures the water is safe for drinking purposes and complies with quality requirements.
In water management, the term "groundwater body" is a distinct volume of groundwater within an aquifer or aquifers that can be effectively managed in order to protect the groundwater and the surface waters linked to the groundwater body.
More information
- Map layers
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To view the map layers, you can use one of the following open-source software options:
The map layers can be downloaded from the environmental portal's map application (in estonian).
Explore:
Interactive map story of groundwater bodies' status (in estonian).