groundwater dam

Structures that intercept or obstruct the natural flow of groundwater and provide storage for water underground. Their use is in areas where flows of groundwater vary considerably during the course of the year, from very high flows following rain to negligible flows during the dry season. The basic principle of the groundwater dam is that instead of storing the water in surface reservoirs, water is stored underground. The main advantages of water storage in groundwater dams is that evaporation losses are much less for water stored underground. Further, risk of contamination of the stored water from the surface is reduced because as parasites cannot breed in underground water (CSEIND).