Relating to a well or aquifer where water rises to the surface under natural pressure, without the need for pumping. Artesian water comes from confined aquifers where the water table is higher than the well opening.
Named after the former province of Artois in northern France, where such wells were first drilled in the 12th century by Carthusian monks. The French 'artésien' became the standard term for this type of pressurized groundwater system.
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