Prepare for the American Water Works Water Treatment Plant Operator Test. Study with multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready to excel!

Multiple Choice

A well in which water rises due to internal aquifer pressure is called what?

Water rises in a borehole because the groundwater is under hydraulic pressure in a confined aquifer. When a well intersects this pressurized, confined layer, the pressure head pushes the water up the well and can even cause it to flow out at the surface without pumping. That behavior is the hallmark of an artesian well. Dug wells and shallow wells tap water from less restricted, unconfined sources and generally do not rely on pressure to lift water to the surface, so they don’t exhibit this rise-without-pumping characteristic. A wellspring is a natural surface discharge of groundwater, not a drilled well.

Water rises in a borehole because the groundwater is under hydraulic pressure in a confined aquifer. When a well intersects this pressurized, confined layer, the pressure head pushes the water up the well and can even cause it to flow out at the surface without pumping. That behavior is the hallmark of an artesian well. Dug wells and shallow wells tap water from less restricted, unconfined sources and generally do not rely on pressure to lift water to the surface, so they don’t exhibit this rise-without-pumping characteristic. A wellspring is a natural surface discharge of groundwater, not a drilled well.