You know, there's a few major problems with this. Besides what u/bcfromfl pointed out, this theory overlooks one major, glaring problem. Water travels downhill due to the basic laws of physics. The Appalachians tend to get higher in elevation the further south you go, which presents a problem with what this post is suggesting.
Ohio and Pennsylvania, even the Appalachian part of the two states, are at a lower elevation than the entirety of West Virginia, and a good portion of the covered areas in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
In fact, the mountain range peaks in the North Carolina side of the Smokey Mountains. Ergo, it's physically impossible for nearly half this map to see water contamination in the way described, since it would require water to flow uphill to reach those areas.
The same logic still applies Aquifers aren't all on the same level, they increase in elevation with the land. The water would still have to flow uphill to reach the Aquifers in the southern Appalachians. Otherwise they'd be below the Bedrock level of the area, and thus not flow into the underground aquifers.
You're right, that's why quite a few are basically useless since we'd have to drill so far down to access them it, it's be more effective and cheaper to collect rain water. Every USABLE aquifer in the area we're debating over is at an increased elevation. Otherwise you'd have to drill thousands of feet into the ground to get to them, which isn't feasible by most standards.
You know, there's a few major problems with this. Besides what u/bcfromfl pointed out, this theory overlooks one major, glaring problem. Water travels downhill due to the basic laws of physics. The Appalachians tend to get higher in elevation the further south you go, which presents a problem with what this post is suggesting.
Ohio and Pennsylvania, even the Appalachian part of the two states, are at a lower elevation than the entirety of West Virginia, and a good portion of the covered areas in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
In fact, the mountain range peaks in the North Carolina side of the Smokey Mountains. Ergo, it's physically impossible for nearly half this map to see water contamination in the way described, since it would require water to flow uphill to reach those areas.
This is showing the aquifer, not surface groundwater. https://digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu/hydr/concepts/gwater/imgs/5comp.jpg
The same logic still applies Aquifers aren't all on the same level, they increase in elevation with the land. The water would still have to flow uphill to reach the Aquifers in the southern Appalachians. Otherwise they'd be below the Bedrock level of the area, and thus not flow into the underground aquifers.
Not all increase in elevation with the land, some do.
You're right, that's why quite a few are basically useless since we'd have to drill so far down to access them it, it's be more effective and cheaper to collect rain water. Every USABLE aquifer in the area we're debating over is at an increased elevation. Otherwise you'd have to drill thousands of feet into the ground to get to them, which isn't feasible by most standards.