For several generations,your family has lived on a farm with a water well.There has never been a problem with the water supply in the past; however,your well has now gone dry.There are several small farms nearby and a large,growing city 50 miles to the north.What can you conclude is the most likely reason for your well to become dry?
A) The farmers nearby have suddenly started using much more water than they used to.
B) The growth of minerals in pore spaces in the aquifer rock has decreased its permeability.
C) As the city grew larger,more wells were drilled and water was overpumped,thus lowering the water table.
D) The water has stopped infiltrating into the ground because of the overuse of pesticides.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sudden drying up of a well that has never had problems before is likely due to the overpumping of water from nearby wells by the growing city. As more wells are drilled and water is overpumped, the water table is lowered, leading to a decreased water supply in neighboring wells. Option A is unlikely as the farmers nearby have been using water before without issues, option B is also less likely as minerals in aquifers do not typically grow suddenly in a way that completely blocks the flow of water, and option D is not directly related to the groundwater supply.

For Several Generations,your Family Has Lived on a Farm with a Water