Bill Callahan and John Malho drill test wells in 'Sconset into Nantucket's aquifer.
Nantucket's aquifer was formed during the last glacial period nearly 10,000 years ago and spans the outline of the island.
What was left has been called "designer water" by Robert Gardner, General Manager of the Wannacomet Water Company.
He continued, "We don't have a high mineral content in our water. We don't have to deal with treating the water. The pH of the water is 8.1 and we don't have to worry about leaching out of metals from pipes into the water."
Groundwater is drawn on Nantucket from private wells, the Siasconset Water Company, and mostly by the Wannacomet Water Company. During the winter, the Wannacomet Water Company normally draws from 700-800 gallons a day, and in the summer averages around 3.4 million gallons a day. An estimated 600-650 million gallons were pumped in 2007, but the aquifer is replenishing itself at a healthy rate.
Conservative estimates say that 10% of over 30 billion gallons of rain that falls each year on Nantucket becomes part of the groundwater, more than doubling the amount of water taken from the source.
Wannacomet Water Company Engineer Mark Willett points to the natural characteristics of Nantucket to explain Nantucket's replenish able and fresh aquifer.
He said, "Even in treatment plants people use sand filters to treat their water. We have a natural 150 ft thick sand filter...there is 2.35 billion gallons of surplus every year. The bowl overflows."
The surplus of fresh water flows naturally from the thin outer edges of the aquifer onto the beach during low tide. When the tide comes up, it's heavier then fresh water and pushes the water back up.
Both Gardner and Willet point to Monomoy as an example of the flowing fresh water. Willet said, "The birds are drinking it."
Photo Gallery
Add your comments...