What is groundwater?

Did you know we monitor groundwater? Groundwater is the water found below the ground's surface and is contained within the rocks and sediments under the ground. When it rains some water falls on land, some water evaporates, some flows into streams and rivers and some seeps into the soil and is absorbed by plant roots. Groundwater plays a vital role in maintaining our waterways, particularly over the dryer months when surface flows are reduced. Just as surface water provides a source of water to rivers and wetlands, groundwater also makes its way to the surface and supports billabongs, wetlands, waterways and estuaries. These types of habitats are known as groundwater-dependent ecosystems.