What Is Artesian Water?

Defining Artesian Water

Artesian water is a type of groundwater that bubbles up to the earth's surface because of underground pressure. Unlike other wells, where you must dig deep to access water, artesian water flows naturally to ground level.

But where does artesian water come from? To better understand, we'll need to explain what an aquifer is. An aquifer is a layer of underground rock or sediment patch that holds a body of groundwater. Groundwater enters an aquifer by soaking through the earth after it rains or snows.

Once water is in the aquifer, it's under a lot of pressure from the rock above it. To release this pressure, it's pushed upward, where it becomes either an artesian well or a flowing artesian well. An artesian well is when the water sits just below the ground's surface — usually because the pressure isn't strong enough to raise it higher than the top level of the aquifer. A flowing artesian well, on the other hand, bubbles out of the earth. 

Artesian Water vs. Spring Water

While they’re similar, artesian and spring water aren’t quite the same. They can be — but only in certain instances. Spring water is technically any water that flows naturally at the land surface. Therefore, a flowing artesian well is technically an artesian spring. However, a regular artesian well is not a spring, as it doesn’t flow out of the earth.

Benefits of Artesian Water

Let’s be upfront — drinking artesian water has no unique medicinal benefits. It’s the same as drinking any other well or sanitized groundwater. In some cases, the layers of rock and clay inside the aquifer can act as a natural filtration system, removing specific contaminants. However, this isn’t always the case — so don’t start poking holes in your backyard looking for an artesian spring to drink from.

If you’re worried about finding quality water to drink, the good news is that the water coming from your tap is likely great for drinking. It may even already be artesian water, as groundwater is one of the primary sources of U.S. tap water.

But maybe that’s not good enough. Perhaps you want to feel like you’re bathing in fresher, cleaner water that’s straight from a pristine pool. If that’s the case, we may be able to help with our additional filtration products. For example, Pentair’s residential shower water filters can reduce chlorine by 96 percent, reducing odors and giving you smoother, softer skin.

What about drinking water? You can see improvements with that as well with our water filter components. Whether setting up a whole-home filtration system or filtering specific taps, you can rest easy knowing your water will taste better.

Get water that tastes like it just gurgled up from a fresh artesian spring. Only with Pentair.