Experts estimate that it's capable of supplying the region with fresh water for up to 400 years. Currently Namibia relies on water from a channel fed by its neighbor, Angola.

The aquifer is filled with water believed to be 10,000 years old, though still drinkable. It will help to supply water for agriculture on a much larger scale than has yet been possible. However, because a saltwater aquifer rests just above the new find, careful drilling will be necessary to avoid contaminating the fresh water below (Matt McGrath, "Vast Aquifer Found in Namibia Could Last For Centuries," BBC.co.uk, July 20, 2012).

The book of Genesis relates the story of Noah's Flood, stating that "the fountains of the great deep were broken up" (6:11)—feeding, along with rain, the waters that covered the whole earth. Yet God also promised that the earth would never be destroyed this way again.

God made the earth to sustain life, and these great aquifers contribute to this vital purpose.