Water Table

The level at which a soil is saturated. A soil with a high-water table means that the water within the soil may be near to the surface. This has implications for drainage requirements and also potential uses for the surface. An area with a low water table means that there is greater potential for improved drainage on a site, or at least to be able to remove rainfall water away more easily from a drained surface. A water table will vary throughout the year, typically being higher during the wetter winter months when rivers are more swollen and lower during drier summer months when rivers are less full. In older literature, the water table was also considered as being the well-level, which was the height at which water would rise within a well for extraction by pump or bucket.