Can water be used faster than it can be replenished?
A new study has revealed that almost a quarter of the world’s population lives in places where groundwater is being used up far too quickly. DW spoke to Dr. Marc Bierkens, a professor of hydrology at Utrecht University.
When groundwater is used more quickly than it is being replaced this is called what *?
Groundwater overdraft occurs when the groundwater resources are used up more quickly than they are replenished.
What happens if we use water faster than it gets recharged?
If water is withdrawn from the ground at a faster rate that it is replenished, either by infiltration from the surface or from streams, then the water table can become lower, resulting in a “cone of depression” around the well.
What happens when groundwater is used more rapidly than it is replenished?
Pumping water out of the ground at a faster rate than it is replenished over the long-term causes similar problems. Excessive pumping can lower the groundwater table, and cause wells to no longer be able to reach groundwater. In extreme cases, using such a well can be cost prohibitive.
How is groundwater used faster than it can replenish?
For each aquifer, we checked how much rainwater percolates down to the groundwater per year. We also worked out how much water was extracted from the ground. If there is more water extracted than replaced, you are depleting those resources. It’s like taking more money out of your bank account than you earn.
What happens when the level of water in a well declines?
Also, as water levels decline, the rate of water the well can yield may decline. There is more of an interaction between the water in lakes and rivers and groundwater than most people think. Some, and often a great deal, of the water flowing in rivers comes from seepage of groundwater into the streambed.
What’s the difference between a well and an aquifer?
The saturated area beneath the water table is called an aquifer, and aquifers are huge storehouses of water. In our sand hole example, you have essentially dug a “well” that exposes the water table, with an aquifer beneath it.
What happens when you pump too much water from an aquifer?
The rate of recharge is not the same for all aquifers, though, and that must be considered when pumping water from a well. Pumping too much water too fast draws down the water in the aquifer and eventually causes a well to yield less and less water and even run dry.