Your drinking water comes from natural sources that are either groundwater or surface water. Groundwater comes from rain and snow that seeps into the ground. The water gets stored in open spaces and pores or in layers of sand and gravel known as aquifers. We use water wells or springs to harvest this groundwater.

Where does most drinking water come from?

Our drinking water comes from lakes, rivers and groundwater. For most Americans, the water then flows from intake points to a treatment plant, a storage tank, and then to our houses through various pipe systems.

Where does 90% of our drinking water come from?

Most of our drinking water comes from rivers and streams. From each river's source, the water meanders through the landscape meeting up with other streams and shaping civilization as we know it. This water is the lifeline of ecosystems around the world.