Physical and Regulatory Constraints on Groundwater Availability

Aquifers, as a water resource, are “self-regulating” in the sense that as water levels decline significantly, aquifer/well hydraulics and economics of pumping will cause production to follow suit.  Public water supply systems that rely solely on groundwater are faced with the daunting task of assessing how potential water-level declines will affect their ability to continue to provide an adequate supply of water to meet the demand.  In addition to developing a keen understanding of a groundwater reservoir and how it will regulate itself, public water systems must also address frequently changing policies from regulatory agencies that, while not affecting the physical ability of the aquifer to provide water, can affect the ability of the public water supply system to produce groundwater.  Frequently we find these regulations to be based on principles or existing regulation, derived from other geographic areas or even other aquifers, rather than from aquifer-specific scientific evidence pertinent to the regulated aquifer.  Policy can have the potential effect of crippling a groundwater based public water system’s ability to meet the needs of its users or forcing it to find alternative, and oftentimes more expensive, means of meeting those needs.  Based on our experience in such settings, we recommend thorough empirical examination of existing or proposed regulatory policy that would limit production from an aquifer specifically as the potential limitations compare to an aquifer’s physical availability to yield water.