Knappa Water is supplied by eight wells situated on state and private timber land south of Highway 30. There are three types of aquifers that produce ground water: confined, unconfined, and perched. Unconfined aquifers are supplied by surface run-off and are, generally, rather shallow wells subject to contamination. A perched water table is water that is trapped below ground by confining layers that surround or nearly surround the water.

KWA wells draw water from confined spaces. The wells are drilled through a confining layer—in this case, basalt.  The wells are not surface water influenced and, therefore, more protected from contamination. We are required to test each well annually for coliform and E. coli bacteria and find none. The recharge zone, according to a geologist who helped KWA site wells, is probably up toward the head waters of Big Creek. Because the water travels several miles over a period of years before it reaches the wells, many of the contaminants have attached to soil particles and no longer pose a risk for human consumption. KWA water is considered medium hard because during it’s slow move to the wells where it is extracted, it picks up particles of chloride, iron, and manganese.