SOURCES OF WATER

Groundwater
 All sources of water are filled either with groundwater or surface water.
 When it rains, some of the water goes or sips deep inside the ground or below
the soil and collects there.
 The water that is found deep inside the ground is called GROUNDWATER.
 Some of the sources of groundwater are wells, tube well, hand pump and tap.
Surface water
 The water that is found on top of the ground or surface.
 All the natural sources of water have surface water such as rivers lakes, seas and
oceans.
 When snow in the mountain melts, it becomes surface water.
Both the groundwater and surface water are filled by rain.
Rain is the main source of both groundwater and surface water.

Sources of Water
Water source is considered the most important factor when choosing a site for an
aquaculture facility. Many undesirable chemical and environmental factors associated
with certain fish farms can be traced to a lack of background of information on the
source water used. When choosing a good water source. It will be helpful to know what
characterizes an “ideal” source and how the source may be affected in the future.
 First. the source must be uncontaminated from excessive nutrients, chemicals or
heavy metals.
 Second, is the availability of the large volumes of water necessary for commercial
fish farms.

There are two main sources of water for fishponds.

Groundwater – is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand
and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand and
rocks called aquifers. Groundwater can be found almost everywhere.
Surface water – is any body of water found on the Earth’s surface, including both the
saltwater in the ocean and the freshwater in rivers, streams, and lakes.
Different kinds of pond According to the water source
1. Ponds can be fed 
by groundwater:

(a) Spring-water ponds are
supplied from a spring either in the
pond or very close to it. The water
supply may vary throughout the year
but the quality of the water is usually
constant.
    
(b) Seepage ponds are supplied 
from the water-table by seepage into
the pond. The water level in the pond
will vary with the level of the water-
table.

    
2. Rain-fed ponds are supplied from 
rainfall and surface runoff. No water is
supplied during the dry season. These
ponds are often small depressions in
impermeable soil, with a dike built at
the lower side to retain more water.

3. Ponds can be fed from a water body such as a stream, a lake, a reservoir or an

irrigation canal. These may be fed directly (e.g. barrage ponds), by water running
straight out from the water body to the ponds, or indirectly (e.g. diversion ponds),
by water entering a channel from which controlled amounts can be fed to the ponds.

 
    
4. Pump-fed ponds are normally higher
than the water level and can be supplied
from a well, spring, lake, reservoir or
irrigation canal, by pumping.