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Groundwater Loss in the United States

EcologyGlobal Warming

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Stephanie Safdie

updated Jan 4, 2024

US Copywriter at Greenly

Climate change in the United States is infamously taking the joy out of summer festivities like Labor Day weekend and the Fourth of July, as people struggle to breathe clean air and sweat like there’s no tomorrow – but what about groundwater and our water usage?

Groundwater has served as a backup source for both agricultural and aesthetic purposes, but those reserves may be running low – and may leave stereotypical, bright green American laws to turn barren and brown.

In this article, we’ll discuss what groundwater is, why groundwater loss is occurring in the United States, and some of the solutions that can be made to rectify this newfound issue.

What is groundwater loss?

First off, groundwater itself refers to the water that is found underground – such as in between cracks or spaces you often step over in a field of grass. Groundwater moves at slower speeds, as it aids in the geologic formation of things like soil, sand, and even rocks.

“ Think of groundwater like a sponge with holes in it – oftentimes, until all of the water is squeezed out, you don’t realize how much water the sponge is actually holding. That’s because water is being stored in all of those crevices, and won’t be dispersed until it is forced to – the same goes for groundwater. ”

If you’ve ever imagined or seen a movie where someone goes to a well to get a bucket of water, it isn’t just a cinematic trope – as this method was used well up until the 20th century.

However, these days – we’ve created special technology that has made the use of traditional wells obsolete. As a result, utilizing the reservoirs of groundwater has been a common practice – one that has allowed the U.S. to provide essential needs in the midst of droughts.

👉 Did you know that around 50% of the United States relies on groundwater to provide drinking water to Americans?

Groundwater is part of the natural water cycle, which usually consists of the following processes:

Evaporation – which is when water changes from liquid to vapor in the air, often due to heat from solar energy hitting the surface of bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Transpiration – which is when water is released from plants and leaves added moisture in the surrounding atmosphere.
Condensation – which is when water vapor turns into droplets, such as when you open your fridge and find water on the outside of your tupperware.
Cloud Formation & Precipitation – which occurs after condensation, as this helps to facilitate the formation of clouds and eventually results in rain, snow, or sleet. This part of the water cycle is crucial for groundwater recharge, as it can “refill” groundwater reserves that are running low.
Infiltration – which is when precipitation ends up in rivers and streams as runoff water.
Surface Runoff – which is when water moves over land into rivers, streams, and eventually the ocean. This part of the water cycle is vital to transport sediments and nutrients.
Groundwater Flow – which is when infiltrated water moves back into the ground, unbeknownst to most – often being absorbed in the cracks, much like a sponge absorbs water. This water then moves through aquifers, which stores water for extensive periods of time – and is where the U.S. has relied on water reserves for basic needs like farming and drinking water.

“ It is important to note that abusing the availability of groundwater in the U.S. has resulted in extensive, permanent damage to aquifers. ”

👉 The water cycle continues to repeat, and seeing as the U.S. continues to tap into already dwindling groundwater reserves – it raises the question if this practice has been good for the United States and the water cycle in the long run.

What are the effects of groundwater loss?

Knowing you have reserves of groundwater in the event of a water shortage can be a great relief, especially in the midst of a drought – but if it’s used without caution and moderation in mind, resourcing to the use of groundwater can have negative consequences.

When groundwater use is abused, the following can occur:

Low Lakes – Have you ever visited a scenic lake, but wondered why the lake doesn’t seem to be filled to the brim with water? That’s because using too much groundwater can affect the natural water cycle, and prevent lakes from maintaining their current height of water.
Excess Salt Water – Groundwater, as a part of the natural water cycle, helps to protect saltwater from infiltrating lakes – but when changes in groundwater flow occur, salt water can start to take over aquifers. This would render some of the freshwater reserves present in groundwater useless.
Excess Groundwater – Human activities such as oil and gas extraction can result in excessive water pumping, which will result in aquifers holding too much groundwater. Therefore, putting more water into the ground will not result in large amounts of beneficial or useful groundwater – as this messes with the natural water cycle.

👉 However, the main issue with groundwater loss is that it contributes to aquifer depletion – which can take thousands of years to replenish on its own.

Why has there been a loss of groundwater in the United States?

The United States is known to be one of the most powerful and resourceful countries in the world.

However, that being said – sometimes the country takes their ability to acquire valuable resources with ease a little too far, such as with their groundwater reserves.

“ Think of someone who wins $5 million dollars in a lawsuit. Usually, it’s best to not blow through all of that money right away – to spend some of it on something nice you typically wouldn’t buy, and then to put the rest of the money away for future emergencies. This is because once you run through the $5 million dollars, you can’t get it back – there’s no second trial for you to win. ”

👉 The same analogy serves for the United States with their groundwater inheritance, as the country has essentially burned through all of their reserves and is now scrambling how to make do without their previous backup supply of water.

Within the last 20 years, the United States has experienced numerous droughts – some of which has resulted in political challenges, such as which states should be allowed to receive more water from vital sources such as the Colorado River.

In fact, as of September 2020 – as much as 40% of the U.S. population has been experiencing drought-like conditions. The answer seems to be simple: if there’s no available water on the surface, then it’s time to make use of our technological advances and refer to groundwater usage.

Luckily enough for the United States, the country has access to the High Plains aquifer – which resides in the Midwest of the U.S. and spans over 174,000 square miles, serving as a main water source for much of the surrounding agricultural land.

“ Did you know that 64% of groundwater is used to grow crops in the United States? ”

However, after decades of relying on groundwater for basic needs like drinking water and farming – the U.S. is hitting an all-time low on available groundwater.

Much of this crisis can be attributed to the fact that Americans have changed their diet, seeing as the average American eats around 100 pounds of chicken each year. This change is likely due to efforts in order to reduce red meat consumption, and while this is good for both the population's health and the planet – it still results in excessive groundwater loss. In addition to this, Americans have started to eat more cheese – which also requires exorbitant amounts of groundwater to produce and meet the current demand.

Therefore, is important to note that groundwater loss is not only a societal issue, but an economic one – seeing as the U.S. substantially relies on its agricultural sector for profit, bringing in $183 billion in 2022 alone.

The negative effects of groundwater loss have already kicked in for the U.S. economy. For example, states like Kansas, known for its massive aquifer underneath 2.6 million acres – are no longer able to support corn production. Other states impacted include California, Utah, and Texas – where so much water is being pumped underground that cracks in pedestrian roads have started to show up. Therefore, groundwater loss could also result in infrastructure issues in the near future.

👉 The issue presented with deteriorating levels of groundwater now is that the United States has become too accustomed to using groundwater, and has avoiding solving the root cause of the problem – which is excess water usage.

Are there any alternatives to using groundwater?

The problem with groundwater is that it currently supports 90% of the country’s water supply, but as groundwater sources are getting sparser by the day – it’s time for the U.S. to find alternatives to keeping up with the supply and demand for viable water.

Thankfully, there are multiple potential replacements to the use of groundwater that can be used in the United States, such as:

Collecting rainwater from roofs;
Harvesting stormwater;
Saving graywater, or the water from your bath, sink, or washing machine that remains relatively clean and useable without toxins;
Capturing condensation, as in large amounts this could be used as viable water;

Implementing more research into the development of desalination, which could allow us to create safe and usable water from our oceans – making up 70% of the planet.

“ However, it is imperative to note that implementing these practices in place of using groundwater is no easy task – and will require extensive time, planning, and effort to ensure its effectiveness. ”

The following should be kept in mind when seeking to collect water from these alternative sources:

Pick a Rainy Place: Much like putting a wind farm in a windless region or solar panels in a cloudy city, putting a system in place to collect rainwater in an area that regularly experiences droughts will prove useless. Therefore, it’s important to determine if investing the time and money in a system to harvest rainwater will be lucrative in the long run – and to choose areas with high precipitation.
Reuse Water Smarter: Just like the phrase, “study smarter, not harder” – the same applies when it comes to finding replacements for groundwater usage. As a result, it’s best to reuse water for things like car washes and landscape irrigation instead of seeking to use stormwater or condensation as drinking water.
Carefully Design & Implement Your New System: Before you implement any of the replacement systems above, it’s important to determine how much water you expect to collect. This way, you can seek to design and incorporate your new groundwater replacement system accordingly to fit your needs.

👉 However, the issue with groundwater isn’t just businesses, large corporations, or even farmers that use it – but the average citizen, such as in public buildings or at the community swimming pool.

How can Americans seek to reduce their own groundwater “footprint”?

How can the U.S. prevent a loss of groundwater in the future?

Working to mitigate further loss of groundwater in the U.S. is becoming more paramount than ever seeing as the availability of freshwater supply continues to dwindle.

However, it won’t be impossible to reverse this trend – here are just a few ways the United States could cut back on using groundwater:

Sustainable Groundwater Management such as by implementing rules to prevent over-withdrawing groundwater – much like an overdraft fee for someone who tries to take too much money out of their bank account.
Aquifer Recharging Periods to allow more groundwater to be collected during rainy seasons.
Improved Wastewater Programs to ensure that water is recycled and used to its full capacity before being discarded.
Climate Smart Farming to implement sustainable tactics amongst farmers, who are some of the biggest culprits of excessive groundwater usage.

“ Groundwater usage can also be reduced if the general public seeks to reduce their water consumption, as demand will no longer outweigh the supply. ”

Basically, seeking to reduce your use of individual groundwater usage entails seeking to reduce your consumption of water as a whole – and there are multiple ways you can do this.

Here are just a few ideas for the average American to help reduce their own water consumption that may rely on the use of groundwater:

Take shorter showers;
Try eating plant-based foods as veganism reduces water consumption;
Opt for energy efficient washing machines and dishwashers.

Ultimately, it will be hard for the U.S. to reverse its habit of relying on groundwater to sustain vital parts of day-to-day human activities – but it is possible, and we have to start now before there are no more wishes left at the well able to restore the country’s economy.

What about Greenly?

If reading this article about groundwater loss in the United States has made you interested in reducing your carbon emissions to further fight against climate change – Greenly can help you!

It can be difficult to understand how groundwater loss could impact your company and your climate goals, but don’t worry – Greenly is here to help! Click here to book a demo and get personalized expertise on how you can start to reduce your own emissions and decrease your environmental impact.

Greenly can help you make an environmental change for the better, starting with a carbon footprint assessment to know how much carbon emissions your company produces.