by Brianna Crandall — April 30, 2014—A new study from the Columbia Water Center, part of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, suggests that even commercial and industrial facilities in parts of the nation that were thought to have an abundance of water for drinking, cleaning and manufacturing processes may need to be aware of the amount of water they use and consider implementing measures to consume less.
The new white paper, Assessment of Groundwater Level Trends across the United States ,which analyzes long-term groundwater trends across the nation, found that historic groundwater levels have declined across much of the country over the last 60 years, suggesting that current groundwater management is broadly unsustainable. The paper was released as part of the Water Center’s new America’s Water initiative.
According to Tess Russo, a postdoctoral fellow and the lead author, her research used historic well records rather than the more typical use of computer models to assess long-term trends of groundwater depletion. In addition to being a broad wake-up call for the entire nation to reassess its approach to groundwater use, according to Russo, the study could be used to inform future, smaller-scale studies that target hot spots to better understand the dynamics of extraction and recharge so as to manage water use more sustainably.
The study found that in addition to well-known areas in Central California and the Great Plains that suffer from severe groundwater depletion, numerous wells had seen long-term water level declines in the Lower Mississippi, the Atlantic Coast and the southeastern part of the country.
America’s Water aims to support a network of academic institutions, government agencies, and private businesses to determine a research agenda for developing and implementing innovative management solutions, new technologies, and new policies to inform water management improvements in the United States.
According to Russo, it is the first attempt to address U.S. water challenges from a national perspective. “The U.S. is due for a paradigm shift, and we are building a group of people who are knowledgeable of the problems, capable of developing innovative solutions, and positioned to implement new practices,” she says.
“We’re not proposing a single set of regulations for the country—that wouldn’t work; we understand the local nature of water issues. However, in order to improve the way we manage and finance water systems locally, we have to start with a comprehensive assessment of utilities, financing, technology evaluation, efficiency, and environmental sustainability of current practices. The Columbia Water Center has begun doing this, and will use results to inform future research needed to refine water-related best practices.”
The graph shows trends in groundwater levels observed 1949-2009. Negative (red/orange) indicates decline in groundwater level, while positive (blue) indicates a rise in groundwater level. Source: Columbia Water Center
(Click on image to enlarge)
Previous papers written as part of the initiative include an analysis that highlighted rising water rates, deteriorating infrastructure, and the growing debt of many utilities across the country, and a study that exposed the lack of sustainable water use throughout much of the country. Future planned releases include a paper on green infrastructure and a case study of water use and infrastructure in San Diego.
The initiative has received support from Veolia Water North America, a global water services operator and engineering firm. Veolia and the CWC were two of the founding members of the Growing Blue Web-based information platform initiated by Veolia to raise awareness and provide resources for decision-makers in regard to the water-growth nexus. Veolia notes that raising water utility rates indefinitely is not a solution to repair aging infrastructure. Rather, innovative approaches to resource management and utility financing are needed to help get ahead of the problem. “Business as usual will no longer be satisfactory.”
