advantages of withdrawing groundwater

Freshwater shortages are caused by dry climate, droughts, desiccation, and water stress. Solutions for this
problem include building dams and reservoirs, transporting freshwater between locations,
withdrawing groundwater, and desalination.
Advantages of dams and reservoirs include cheap electricity, reduction of downstream flooding, and yearround water for irrigation. Disadvantages include displacement of people and disruption of aquatic
systems, and the hydrological cycle.
The advantages of withdrawing groundwater include water for drinking and irrigation; availability and
locality; low cost, no evaporation losses; and it is renewable. Disadvantages include aquifer
depletion from over pumping, subsidence, pollution, saltwater intrusion, and reduced water flow.
Desalination increases the supply of fresh water but is expensive and produces large quantities of
wastewater.
www.cengage.com/.../0495556718_164051.doc
Disadvantages of withdrawing groundwater incl
ude falling water tables, land sinking below the
aquifers, and saltwater intrusion in
to the aquifers in coastal areas.
1.Groundwater is being withdrawn at four times its
replacement rate in the U.S. The huge Ogallala
Aquifer lays under eight states in the arid high plains and has serious water overdraft problems.
2.Saudi Arabia gets 70% of its drinking water from the worlds largest desalination complex on its
coast. Deep aquifers supply the rest, and thes
e are mostly nonrenewable
fossil aquifers. Most
irrigated agriculture may disappear within 1020 years.
3.This overuse of aquifers will also increase the
gap between the rich and poor in some areas.
4.Withdrawing water from deep aquifers sometimes allows sand and rock to collapse and the land
above the aquifer to subside. Recharge of th
ese compressed aquifers is no longer possible.
5.Another problem comes from the collapse of the
roof of a cavern, causing the formation of
sinkholes.
6.Contamination of aquifers by intrusion of saltwater occurs along some coastal areas in the U.S.

http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/ModuleInstance/75616/c
hapter%2015%20learning%20log%20and%20notes.pdf
solutions to groundwater depletion
Excessive extraction of groundwater for irrigation in regions of slow renewal is the main cause for global
groundwater depletion, concludes an overview article published online this week in Nature Geoscience.
To make food production sustainable, groundwater levels in these regions must be stabilized.
Werner Aeschbach-Hertig and Tom Gleeson synthesize work on the use and depletion of groundwater.
They argue that groundwater depletion is a global problem in its impacts on sea-level rise and agricultural
production, but that it can only be tackled at the scale of individual river basins. They conclude that
technical solutions to excessive extraction, such as efficient irrigation and water diversion, have failed to

close the gap between extraction and recharge in some regions. They suggest that any solutions must
instead include tailored considerations of how we value and manage groundwater in each region.
http://www.natureasia.com/en/research/highlight/1973
water sustainably
We need to take care of our water, not abuse it. Every town and city, whether small
or big, uses water. Cities use water for fire fighting, street cleaning, and watering
public areas such as parks, grass, trees, shrubs, and flowers. Water is also used to
fill public drinking fountains, including those at schools and libraries. All of the
different businesses in your community also use water. Think about all the water
that is used by restaurants, hospitals, laundries, dry cleaners, golf courses, hotels,
car washes, beauty shops, barber shops, gas stations, and health clubs as well as all
of the other businesses in town.
The amount of water needed to run a farm is tremendous. When we think of water on a farm, we think of
watering crops; but the amount of water needed on a dairy farm is a huge amount also. Chickens, pigs,
sheep, and all the other animals in a farmyard need drinking water to stay alive. Food must be grown for
them to eat, and water is also required in the cooling systems used to keep production meat fresh.
Vegetable and grain crops also require water. Water is used in spreading fertilizers, herbicides, and
pesticides, which produce a greater crop yield, but can also contaminate the water. Most of the water used
on farms is used for irrigation. Studies show that by using drip irrigation, farmers can conserve up to 60%
of the water that it would normally take to irrigate their crops using other systems of irrigation.
http://sustainability.about.com/od/Sustainability/a/How-We-Use-Water.htm
A More Sustainable Water Future
A. A blue revolution to conserve water would include several components.
1. Use technology to irrigate more efficiently and to save water.
2. Apply economic and political realities; remove subsidies that under-price water while
guaranteeing low prices for low-income consumers.
Subsidize reducing water waste with rewards.
3. Develop new waste production
and treatment systems that accep
t only non-toxic materials; use
less/no water to treat wastes; return nutrients in waste to the soil; and mimic natures
decomposition and recycling processes.
4. Leave enough water in rivers to protect wildli
fe, ecological processes, and the natural ecological
services provided by rivers
.
B.Ecological restoration efforts show that wild
life and good ecological health will return.
1.We can use and waste less water.
2.Support government policies that result in more sustainable use of water and better ways to treat
industrial and household wastes.

3.Reducing meat consumption will also lower water use and water pollution.
http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/ModuleInstance/75616/chapter
%2015%20learning%20log%20and%20notes.pdf
advantages of desalination water
The main purpose of desalination is to make water available in those areas that
have limited resources of fresh water. It provides a reliable and safe supply of wa
Desalination provides a readily available and reliable alternative source of water in
times of severe drought (like the drought of 2007 that hit most of the southeastern
U.S.) and/or water shortagester to growing communities.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6105464_advantages-desalination.html
disadvantages
The process of desalination requires pretreatment and cleaning chemicals, which
are added to water before desalination to make the treatment more efficient and
successful. These chemicals include chlorine, hydrochloric acid and hydrogen
peroxide, and they can be used for only a limited amount of time. Once they've lost
their ability to clean the water, these chemicals are dumped, which becomes a
major environmental concern. These chemicals often find their way back into the
ocean, where they poison plant and animal life. Desalination is not a perfected
technology, and desalinated water can be harmful to human health as well. Byproducts of the chemicals used in desalination can get through into the "pure" water
and endanger the people who drink it. Desalinated water can also be acidic to both
pipes and digestive systems.
http://www.ehow.com/list_5961767_disadvantages-desalination.html