Ground Water Education Activities
by, Barbara C. Cooper and Brent Ladd
Overview: We are all dependent on a safe source of water to survive. Approximately
72% of all Hoosiers rely on ground water as a source of drinking water. The remaining
28% depend on surface water. No matter what the source of water you use for drinking,
be it ground water or surface water, there are certain things that can be done to protect the
water from damaging contamination.
Please refer to the list of references at the end of this handout for more information on
water quality publications.
Ground Water Section
Activity 1: How Does Water Move Through the Earth? (adapted from Earth: the
Water Planet)
Goal: To demonstrate the presence and characteristics of pore spaces in sediments.
Materials needed:
 7 small transparent containers - clear plastic 5 oz. cups are ideal.
 marbles or pebbles
 fine, dry sand, enough to fill three of the cups
 water
 an eyedropper
Procedure:
1. Mark each container with a line at the same height, just below the top and label one
“sand” and one “pebbles”.
2. Fill two of the unlabeled cups (to the line) with pebbles (or marbles).
3. Fill two other of the unlabeled cups (to the line) with sand.
4. Fill three (to the line) with water, one of the water cups will be used with the sand the one labeled “sand” - and one with the pebbles - the one labeled “pebbles.”
What is in each cup? Which cup, the sand-filled or the pebble (or marble) filled
has the most pore space?
Test your hypothesis:
5. Pour one of your of water cups (the one labeled “sand”) very slowly into one of the
“full” cups of sand, until the water is just up to the fill line. Reserve the remaining
water in its original cup. If you happen to pour too much, use the eyedropper to
replace the water into the water cup. The water that you used to fill the sand-filled
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cup filled the pore spaces between the grains of sand. Estimate (or measure) how
much was removed from the water cup to fill the sand cup. Set these two cups aside.
6. Now pour water from the second water cup (the one labeled “pebbles”) into one of
the cups filled with pebbles up to the fill line. Reserve the remaining water in its
original cup. If you happen to pour too much, use the eyedropper to replace the water
into the water cup. The water that you used to fill the pebble-filled cup filled the pore
spaces between the pebbles. Estimate (or measure) how much was removed from the
water cup to fill the pebble cup.
7. Compare the amount of water needed to fill the pores between the pebbles with the
amount of water needed to fill the pores between the sand grains. Record your
observations, and set all the cups aside for later.
For more discussion:
 Since ground water flows through the pore spaces in soils or rocks, what type of
materials could contain the most ground water? What characteristics would allow for
the ground water to flow fastest?
 Describe how ground water moves through the soil. How will the size and shape of
the pore space effect the rate of flow of ground water? What implications does this
have on the transport of contaminants? Would you rather spill something into sand or
clay-like soils?
 Now consider the last cup of pebbles. If you were to fill the pore space with sand, how
would this affect the volume of water that could be added? Make a guess (form a
hypothesis) and test it by continuing with step 8.
8. Gently pour the remaining cup of sand into the cup of pebbles (up to the fill line),
tapping to make the sand settle between the pebbles. Then add water from the final
cup of water, again filling up to the fill line. How much water could the mixed sand
and pebbles hold? Compare the results of this experiment with the previous two.
Record your observations.
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Activity 2: Get the Ground Water Picture – Project WET Book, p 136.
Activity 3: Where Does Contamination Go?
Goals:
Basic goal: To demonstrate conservation of mass, and contaminant movement.
The first activity shows that contamination does not necessarily go away. A contaminant can
change form through chemical and biological processes, but it does not really disappear. It can
volatilize (to the air), be sorbed onto soil, be consumed and transformed by bacteria, or flow with
water to another location. Its fate depends on the type substance and the environmental
conditions present.
(More advanced) Alternative goal: To encourage students to formulate hypotheses, and to design
an experiment to demonstrate their hypotheses.
Materials needed:
 clear plastic cup
 rice
 food coloring
 water
 plastic soda straw, pipette with bulb, or small turkey baster to use as a simulated well
 small square of gauze
 rubber band
 spray bottle of water
Procedure:
1. Prepare the straw, pipette, or turkey baster for use as a pumping well by covering the end
with a square of gauze and securing it with the rubber band. Set aside.
2. Pour rice into plastic cup, about 1/2 to 3/4 full.
3. Add water to a level about 1 cm below the surface of the rice.
4. Insert the “well” and pump out some water. (Leave the well in place.)
5. Drop a couple of drops of the food coloring onto the surface of the rice and watch what
happens.
Write down your observations.
6. Mist the surface of the cup with the spray bottle to simulate rainfall, and observe what
happens to the food coloring.
Record your observations.
7. Pump a little water out from the well again and observe what happens.
Did the food coloring enter the well? Describe whether it was diluted, and estimate how
much dilution, if any has occurred.
8. Let the cup sit for about 15 minutes.
9. Pump a little water out again and observe what happens.
10. Let the cup sit for another 15 minutes.
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11. Pump a little water out again and observe what happens.
Give a hypothesis of what has happened. How could you test this hypothesis?
More discussion:
 Describe where ground water comes from. In other words, how did it get into the ground in
the first place?
 How does contamination get into ground water?
 Can you list some natural and some anthropogenic (man-made) ground water contaminants?
Enhancing the activity:
Repeat this activity using a deeper plastic cup and vary the depth from the surface of the rice to
the water.
Describe why the depth to the water table can affect the risk of contamination to ground
water.
Vary the materials in the cup and see what effect other materials have on the migration and/or
adsorption of the food coloring. (some suggestions include beans or sand.)
How does this relate to contaminant migration or adsorption in ground water flowing
through soils or rocks?
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Activity 4: Is Dilution the Solution to Pollution? (Adapted from “How Well Is Your Water?”
NDSU Extension Service)
Goal: To show the effect of dilution on certain contaminants.
Background:
Sometimes there may be very small amounts of contaminants in our drinking water. Depending
on what the contaminant is, this may be a serious problem. Because some contaminants are
dangerous in very small amounts, it is important to know the amount of contaminant in a
specified volume of (drinking) water. The federal government specifies maximum contaminant
levels (MCL’s) for certain chemicals that can be found in drinking water. If the MCL is
exceeded, public water supply operators must take steps to ensure the health and safety of the
public.
This activity demonstrates factors of dilution for two different substances, one that can be
observed by sight and one by smell.
Materials needed:
 Six clear one liter containers
 water
 two medicine droppers
 one milliliter of diesel fuel
 one milliliter of food coloring
 two stirring rods or spoons to stir with
Procedures:
Part one - the food coloring
1. Fill three of the containers with one liter of water.
2. To the first container, add one ml food coloring. (This will be twenty drops from the
medicine dropper.)
3. Stir the container, rinse and dry the stirrer.
Now that you have added one ml of coloring to 1 liter of water what is the dilution?
(Remember one liter is the same as 1000 milliliters)
4. Take one milliliter (twenty drops) of this solution and add it to the second container.
What is the dilution of the food coloring in the second container? Can you see any trace of
color remaining?
5. Take one milliliter (twenty drops) of this solution and add it to the third container.
What is the dilution of the food coloring in the third container? Can you see any trace of
color remaining?
Part two - the diesel fuel
6. Fill the three remaining containers with one liter of water.
7. Into the first container put 20 drops (1 milliliter) of diesel fuel using the second medicine
dropper. Stir.
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8. Then, put 20 drops (1 milliliter) of the diluted diesel fuel solution into the second container
and stir.
What is the dilution of the diesel fuel in the second container? Can you smell the fuel?
9. Now, put 20 drops (1 milliliter) of the diluted diesel fuel solution from the second container
into the third container and stir.
What is the dilution of the diesel fuel in the second container? Can you still smell the
fuel?
For more discussion:
 Is dilution the solution for contamination?
 At what dilution would you feel safe drinking the water diluted with diesel fuel?
 How would you determine the dilution level that would allow a contaminant to be safe to
consume?
 Are the “safe” levels the same for children as they are for adults?
 How can you safely dispose of the water contaminated with diesel fuel?
 What would happen if you disposed of diesel fuel, or other petrochemicals or solvents in a
septic system?
 How would you dispose of regular diesel fuel?
To enhance this activity:
1. Do some research about how MCL’s (maximum contaminant levels) are determined, and
how safety standards are set. You could discuss the ethics of using animals as test species.
2. Check you local water company’s consumer confidence report. This report details the levels
of certain contaminants found in your local drinking water and relates those levels to the
federal MCL standards for drinking water.
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Activity 5: Down the Drain, and into the Yard.
Goal: To demonstrate how a private septic system works, ways it can be damaged and how it
should be maintained.
Background: It has been estimated that approximately 70% of the septic systems in Indiana are
not operating effectively. In many instances, the poor operation of a septic system will go
undetected for many years. If a system is operating poorly it can be discharging under-treated
waste into ditches and streams or into the ground water. Because many systems are not pumped
out and inspected regularly, the only time poor operation is noticed is when the system fails
completely, and waste water backs up into the residence.
In this activity we build a model of a private septic system, complete with tank and leaching
field. To simulate “waste” we used pony beads (can be purchased at any store that sells crafts),
smaller beads, glitter, and food coloring. (You may wish to try other things, too.)
Materials:
 a large, transparent, water-proof, container - we used a plastic “sweater storage” box
 some “play sand” - enough to cover the bottom of the container to a depth of an inch or two
 a small clear plastic food storage container, to simulate the septic tank
 modeling clay, the kind that never dries out and is not affected by water
 four, flexible drinking straws
 a small funnel
 water
 some pony beads, smaller beads, and glitter of other materials that can be used to simulate
“waste”
 food coloring
Procedures:
Getting started:
Before you begin to build the model you need to prepare some of the materials. (This will be an
important safety issue if you are using the model in a classroom situation.)
1. Take three of the straws and using an awl (or an ice pick) poke holes along the length of the
straws.
2. Drill or punch a hole into the food storage container in the center of one side near the top.
This hole should be just big enough for a soda straw to fit into.
3. Drill or punch a hole into the lid of the food storage container that the small end of the funnel
will fit into. This hole should be positioned such that the funnel can be held in place on a
long side of the large sweater box, and still fit into the hole.
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Now that you have finished using the sharp tools to prepare the materials, you are ready to begin
the actual construction itself.
4. Fill the sweater box with one to two inches of play sand. This is the “earth” that will hold the
tank and the leaching field for the septic system.
5. Use a small section of straw to connect from the septic tank to where the leach field will be.
Seal the joint with modeling clay.
6. Place the septic tank into the sweater box, so that the outlet pipe is lying just on the surface of
the sand.
7. Connect the three perforated straws using modeling clay as shown in the illustration, trying
to keep the field as level as possible. (It should slope at about a 1% gradient. Water needs a
slope to flow, but you don’t want to design the system with such a steep gradient so that all
the water rushes to the ends of the pipes. You can have your students calculate what a 1%
gradient would be over a given distance for a regular system.
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8. Seal the ends of the straws with a little modeling clay.
9. Put a little clay into the bottom of the tank to simulate the sludge that is normally found
coating the bottom of the tank. Place some beads into the tank. (The clay will also allow you
to keep some of the beads from floating.)
10. Place the funnel over the hole in the tank and seal the connection with modeling clay.
Now the model is built, you are ready to do the simulations.
11. First, slowly add water to the system.
What happens if you add too much water?
12. Add some glitter.
Describe what happens. What do you think the glitter might simulate?
13. Add some food coloring and wash it into the system with a little water.
Describe what happens. What do you notice with the food coloring? What might it
simulate?
Discuss how the following substances would act in a home septic system:
 solvents
 oils
 hazardous materials
 bleach
 anti-bacterial soaps and detergents
Enhance the activity:
Research your county regulations on septic systems.
For more discussion:
 List some common contaminants in ground water and describe how they could have gotten
there.
 You may want to try different slopes on the leaching bed, like 0%, 1%, and 2%. What will
happen if the slope is too great?
 List common hazardous materials that could be found around the home.
 Brainstorm about where these would be stored or used in the home (or farm)
 Ask how you should properly disposed of any hazardous material "leftovers"?
 What effect do different types of soils have on the effectiveness of the leaching system?
 Visit some Web pages detailing current and innovative septic systems and discuss the pros
and cons of these systems.
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Activity 6: The Pucker Effect, Project WET book, p. 338
Surface water and ground water
Because ground water is difficult to observe in the natural environment, the above activities are
all based on physical “models.” Seeps and springs can be observed on the sides of hills and in
ravines in Indiana, and a field trip to observe a spring would be of great benefit to all students.
Ground water and surface water are interrelated. In most areas of Indiana ground water flows
into and feeds the streams. The evidence of this phenomenon can be observed in July or August
when no rain has fallen in several weeks and there is water continuing to flow in the streams. It
can also be observed in winter when the ground is frozen and springs of liquid water flow into
the stream beds, or into wetland areas. Simple measurements can be used to back up these
observations. Water temperature of streams that have baseflow contributed by ground water
will consistently be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than the ambient air
temperature.
The following activity demonstrates how contaminants can be transferred between surface
waters and ground water through natural interactions between the two, or through man made
causes, like the pumping of a well.
Activity 7: Aquifer in a pan (any clear container with a fairly large surface area will work)
(Adapted from the USEPA)
Goal: To demonstrate some aspects of the interactions between ground water and surface water.
To provide a visual tool to show how water is stored in an aquifer, and how drinking water can
become contaminated by human activities that occur near the earth’s surface.
Materials needed:
 fish bowl, large plastic storage container, or a baking pan (any clear container with a fairly
large surface area will work)
 sand and/or fine gravel - a liter or two
 turkey baster
 square of gauze
 rubber band
 food coloring
 unsweetened powdered drink mix
 spray bottle (mister) of water
 a water source
 paper towels
 medicine dropper
 clay (optional - any kind will work, but be aware that the clay can’t be reused after this
activity.)
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Procedures: Building the basic model
1. Prepare a simulated well by covering the end of the turkey baster with the square of gauze
and securing it with the rubber band. Set aside.
2. Put sand or gravel into the container and shape it into a landscape. Make a pond in part of
this landscape.
3. Slowly add water to the container, so that there is a visible “ground water” layer within the
sand or gravel and water in the pond.
4. Insert the turkey baster into the landscape for a well.
Working with the basic model:
If you pull some water out with the baster, you are simulating water being pumped out of the
ground with a pumping well. In an actual well, the ground water level does not change
significantly every time a well pump is activated, because there is a very large reservoir of
ground water in most aquifers. In the model you can notice a drop in water level because of the
relatively small volume of water in the model and the rather large relative volume of the turkey
baster. This phenomenon can be used to demonstrate to the student what can happen when a lot
of water is withdrawn from an aquifer that has a small relative capacity. This drop in the water
table occurs when withdrawals are greater than recharge.
How is the aquifer recharged?
5. Use the spray bottle of water to simulate rainfall by spraying it on the model.
In the model, does all the simulated rain infiltrate into the ground? Does some of it run across
the surface and flow into the pond? What are the characteristics of a natural system that would
produce run-off? Infiltration? What factors exist in a natural system that our model does not take
into account? (evaporation and transpiration)
Variations on the theme
Confining layers
This activity can be expanded to demonstrate how confining layers, like clay layers in the soil,
reduce the amount of recharge to the aquifer from infiltrating rain. By adding a clay layer either
at the surface or slightly below the surface, the simulated rain will tend to run-off rather than
infiltrate. By burying the clay layer below the surface, but above the water table, a spring could
be simulated.
Infiltration of contaminants
Unsweetened powdered drink mix can be sprinkled on the top of the model. Spraying the model
to simulate rainfall will wash some of the coloring from the drink mix into the ground water. (It
works best if this is done near enough to the side of the container that the “plume” is visible
through the side.)
Contaminants spilled into pond - Drop some food coloring into the pond then pump water from
the well. Did you notice any of the contamination showing up in the well water? Relate this to
something that could happen in your community.
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References:
Gartrell, Jack E., Jr., et al., Earth: The Water Planet, National Science Teacher’s Association,
Arlington, VA 22201-3000, 1992, p. 12.
Andrews, Elaine, et at., Home*A*Syst, An Environmental Risk-Assessment Guide for the Home,
WQ-25, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, West Lafayette, IN 47907, 1997.
Indiana Science Proficiency Guide, Indiana Department of Education.
Brichford, Sarah, et al., Indiana Farmstead Assessment for Drinking Water Protection, WQ-22,
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, West Lafayette, IN 47907, 1995.
Nowatzki, John, How Well Is Your Water? Protecting Your Home Groundwater, North Dakota
State University Extension Service, Fargo, ND 58105, 1996, pp. 21-26.
Project WET, Water Education for Teachers, Curriculum and Activity Guide, The Watercourse
and Council for Environmental Education, 1995.
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