Groundwater is water stored underground in permeable rock like chalk or sandstone. It emerges as springs and streams, and the upper level is called the water table. Layers filled with groundwater are called aquifers. Groundwater supplies 22% of the world's water and is important for water supplies in rural and urban areas, as well as for municipal, industrial, and agricultural use. However, groundwater pollution is difficult to clean up and results most often from improper disposal of household and industrial chemicals, wastewater, and landfills.