Water you cannot see still needs managing.
Groundwater engineering with independent judgment: we study the subsurface, inspect the well and document every decision. We do not drill and we take no commission from drillers.
Hydrology vs. hydrogeology
| Hydrology | Hydrogeology | |
|---|---|---|
| What it studies | Water flowing over the surface. | Water stored and moving underground. |
| Where the water is | Rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs. | Aquifers, water table, wells and springs. |
| How it moves | Runoff. | Infiltration and groundwater flow. |
| Unit of study | The watershed. | The aquifer: porous or fractured media. |
| Risks | Floods and drought. | Falling water levels, poor water quality and land subsidence. |
| Applications | Dams, levees and watershed management. | Well siting and design, recharge and monitoring. |
They are complementary: water seeping through a riverbed recharges the aquifer, and the aquifer resurfaces in springs and rivers.
The La Laguna aquifer
Two media store the water: granular valley sediments (sand, gravel and clay) and fractured calcareous rock. The system ranges from unconfined to semi-confined, and is confined in some areas.
Extraction far exceeds recharge, which comes mainly from rainfall on the valley, lateral underground inflow and irrigation return. The aquifer is officially closed to new concessions.
Arsenic and fluoride occur naturally in the region's geology. Water quality changes as wells go deeper, so every well needs testing, not assumptions.
The Agua Saludable para La Laguna project aims to replace part of urban pumping with treated surface water from the Nazas River. For agriculture, groundwater remains the foundation: it must be protected and measured.
Source: CONAGUA, water availability determination for aquifer 0523 Principal-Región Lagunera (1999 balance, published 2002). Reference figures; current values may differ.
Video inspection: see before you repair
A camera travels down the well and records the condition of the casing and equipment at every depth. That record tells you whether to rehabilitate —expand oval casing, install patches, clean— or replace the well, instead of guessing.
- Patches and earlier repairs
- Start and condition of slotted casing
- Static level and water turbidity
- Oval or collapsed casing
- Leaks in the column or bowl
- Breaks and sediment level