groundwater

When the rainfall and fog of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense mountain range are condensed and fall to the hillslopes, the water not only settles into wetlands and streams across the landscape but are drawn deep underground to saturate the earth as groundwater. The vegetation of the [18|Paramo] helps to regulate the levels and flow depending on season, altitude and slope.

In the higher peaks of the Paramo, frailejones draw atmospheric water into the ground using trichome-covered leaves and deep (1-2m) taproots [CITE]. At the lower plains, sphagnum moss also aids water retention by preventing evapotranspiration from the soil in drier periods. This keeps them permanently waterlogged, which plays a key role in limiting oxygen levels in the soil and slowing decomposition of plant matter, making the Paramo a vital carbon sink [CITE]. Throughout all levels of the Paramo, tussock grass also helps to regulate rainfall drainage to the groundwater, with its dense fibrous root mat, distributing moisture evenly across soil horizons [CITE]. A delicate balance is maintained across the water table between seasons, thanks to these key regulating species, whereby wetlands, rivers and streams replenish ground water during rainy seasons (April-May and September-November) and groundwater replenishes surface water in the drier months [CITE].

At lower altitudes, the proximity of heavy industry and densely populated urban areas of Bogota significantly impact the quality and health of the groundwater. Due to limited regulations and illegal waste dumping, Leachate and contaminants from the mining industry, tanning site, agricultural industry, recycling centre and landfill site, including lead, cadmium, chromium and ammonium compounds, migrate through soils into groundwater [CITE]. Furthermore, leakage from failing sewers, unlined drainage channels and natural infiltration causes waste water to enter shallow aquifers which disproportionately affects communities whose sanitation infrastructure is compromised or fragmented [CITE].