Groundwater Resources Groundwater is removed from underground aquifers

Groundwater Resources

• Groundwater is removed from underground aquifers. • Aquifers supply groundwater on a yearround basis. • Aquifer supplied groundwater is not lost to evaporation. • 50% of U. S. drinking water comes from groundwater.

Overuse of groundwater can cause several problems: • a) lowering the water table • b) aquifer depletion • c) sinking of the land where the aquifer has been depleted • d) if the aquifer is close to the ocean, saltwater may intrude to the aquifer • e) chemicals that have been injected or dumped into the ground may leach into aquifers • f) reduced stream flow

How Fast are We Depleting Our Groundwater? • Currently the U. S. is using groundwater 4 times faster than it is being replenished.

Aquifer depletion can be controlled by: • a) controlled growth • b) planting less water-loving plants (cotton and sugar cane are heavy water users) • c) rotating crops • d) developing new crops that depend on less water • e) wasting less irrigation water/odd and even day to water

Making freshwater from saltwater • The process to make freshwater from saltwater is called desalinization. • Desalinization has two basic processes: • a) distillation or basic evaporation (slow process) • b) reverse osmosis (pumping salt water through a very small membrane to take the salt out). It takes 30 gallons of saltwater to make 21 gallons of freshwater. It is very expensive!!

Other Ways to get Freshwater to Dry Areas!!? ? • • Build Reservoirs Divert Freshwater Supplies Conserve!! Some people have even thought of towing icebergs to parched areas.