Many experts say groundwater tends to be of higher quality than surface water and requires less robust treatment. David Rudolph, a professor of earth sciences and hydrogeologist at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, says groundwater has always shown a remarkable capacity to filter itself. But with the growing threat of contamination, that natural ability is being tested like never before.
Rudolph says he laments that groundwater continues to receive little attention in comparison to the more visible surface water sources despite efforts of the University-based Waterloo Centre for Groundwater Research.