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.
A very important solvent in nature and biology is water. Aqueous solutions are solutions containing water as the solvent. Many solutes can dissolve in water, and that is why water is the universal solvent. When a solution is formed, forces between particles in the solute and in the solvent are overcome. At the same time, new attractive forces are formed. The forces that are formed in a solution must be a similar strength as the forces overcome in the solute and solvent.