Introduction

Resource depletion is an ever-increasing issue that has been brought about by our planet's exponentially expanding population. As our urban world continues to grow at escalating rates, this problem will only become more widespread in the coming decades. On a global scale, the effects of excessive consumption primarily impact the availability and abundance of water and sources of energy such as oil and natural gas. In the United States, one of the main consequences of such behavior is the depletion of groundwater through over-extraction.

Causes

The chief source of groundwater depletion is sustained groundwater pumping. Typically, water must be pumped at high speeds in order to meet the large demand for it. However, as supplies of water are extracted at faster rates than they are refilled, they begin to shrink and diminish over time. This contributes to a decrease in water volume and accordingly results in an increase in the cost of water.

When water is removed from an aquifer beyond its equilibrium, the reserve will become overdrafted and be at risk of drying up eventually. This poses a serious threat to both the developing and developed world alike as groundwater over-extraction is a common problem in most urban areas to varying degrees.

Impacts

The severity of the effects of groundwater depletion depend on the level of water loss, although the types of issues that stem from over-extraction remain largely the same regardless of how much water is consumed. Usually, the negative results experienced with depletion include a decreased total yield of water from a source, increased water costs, and the potential for water contamination.

If a loss of support for land surfaces occurs when a water supply is diminished, land subsidence can also happen. During this process, surface elevation is lost and natural materials such as rocks and dirt often sink dramatically. When this phenomenon takes place in a city, it can potentially injure civilians and cause car accidents by destroying sidewalks and roads.

US Prevalence

In the United States, groundwater accounts for roughly 50% of water consumption annually. Accordingly, maintaining an ample amount of this resource is imperative to the health of the citizens that rely on groundwater on a daily basis. When depleted, the costs of groundwater rise substantially as demand does not decline along with water reserves. Historically, groundwater depletion has been a problem mostly in the High Plains and Southwest. In recent years, however, it has been an area of concern for the government of California and many other states as well.

Solutions

Since reliance on groundwater is so high, the problem of its depletion must be addressed as demand will only increase in the future. Below are a few strategies that can be implemented to aid in reducing this problem, as suggested by Dr. Bridget Scanlon of the University of Texas at Austin.

• Decrease irrigated agriculture
• Convert irrigated agriculture to rain-fed agriculture
• Reduce lawn watering
• Lower outside irrigation
• Conserve water in urban areas
• Increase desalination plant projects