Water Connects
Land, Farms, and Communities
Groundwater is the foundation of our local watersheds. Beneath Montgomery County and the Agricultural Reserve, the Piedmont Sole Source Aquifer stores water within underground fractured rock formations.
This groundwater supplies drinking water to private and public wells—serving over 20,000 homes and farms—and feeds the streams and rivers that sustain our landscape.
An aquifer is a layer of rock underground that stores groundwater. In the Piedmont region, groundwater moves slowly through cracks and fractures in the rock below Earth’s surface.
Our region sits above an unconfined aquifer, meaning it has more interaction with Earth’s surface. Rainfall and snowmelt soak into the ground, filter through soil and recharges the aquifer below.
While this natural connection helps replenish groundwater supply, it also makes the aquifer more vulnerable to contamination from pollution, climate pressures, and human activity.
How Groundwater Works
Webinar presentation on
well protection and what to look for when testing water quality with Water Quality Specialist, Andy Lazur, PhD.
Find Out if You’re in the Piedmont SSA
Use the EPA’s interactive map of Sole Source Aquifers to see if you receive drinking water from the Piedmont Sole Source Aquifer.
“Our Aquifer is the bloodstream for farms in the Agricultural Reserve. It’s what sustains us. ”
— Gene Kingsbury, Kingsbury’s Orchard
Upcoming Events
H2O Summit, Oct 13th 2026
11 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. This year’s theme, Catching it at the Source, focuses on the upstream actions and community partnerships that help keep our waterways clean.
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