Confined Aquifers

A confined aquifer is a underground layer of water-bearing rock or gravel sandwiched between two impermeable layers, such as clay or dense rock. This setup traps the water under pressure, often making it self-flowing or easier to extract with a well. Because of the pressure, water in confined aquifers can be accessed with less pumping effort than unconfined aquifers. These aquifers typically store large quantities of groundwater and are less vulnerable to surface contamination, but once depleted or contaminated, they can be challenging and costly to replenish or clean.