One important factor in dealing with HC surface and ground water supplies is the differences in surface water flow and tributary ground water flow. In Nebraska, for example, stream-flow may move twenty-five miles per day or more, whereas ground water flow may be 300 feet per year.hen the aquifer is, say, twenty feet higher than the stream, the ground water will flow toward the stream more quickly than if the aquifer is only one foot higher than the stream.
Why Water Is Called the Universal Solvent Water dissolves more chemicals than any other solvent because its polar nature gives each molecule a hydophobic (water-fearing) and hydrophilic (water-loving) side.
Two substances that can never mix to form a solution are called immiscible. A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution. The most common solvent in everyday life is water. Most other commonly-used solvents are organic (carbon-containing) chemicals.