Sandstone retains only a small part of the intergranular pore space that was present before the rock was consolidated; compaction and cementation have greatly reduced the primary pore space. Secondary openings, such as joints and fractures, along with bedding planes, contain and transmit most of the ground water in sandstone. Accordingly, the hydraulic conductivity of sandstone aquifers is low to moderate, but because they extend over large areas, these aquifers provide large amounts of water.
An example or a sandstone aquifer in New York State is the Potsdam Sandstone Aquifer. The Potsdam might have formed originally as a beach deposit during Cambrian times. This aquier and the sandstone aquifers of Connecticut and Massachusetts generally yield only small quantities of water to wells. Therefore, they are used primarily as a source of supply for households, commercial establishments, and small communities and industries that require only modest quantities of water.
