AdobeStock 777410383

Jessie Haas

Every year the National Ground Water Association (NGWA, https://www.ngwa.org/) promotes Groundwater Awareness Week National Groundwater Awareness Week . This past year it was held March 9-15, and it is a safe bet that many of us were not aware of it. The annual observance highlights the responsible use and protection of groundwater, a resource we all tend to take for granted. Yet it is essential in our daily lives, and if access is compromised, it rightly becomes an obsession.

Groundwater is the water stored in aquifers, soil, and rock formations under the ground‘s surface, accessed by homeowners and businesses usually through wells. It is used for drinking water by 50% of the U.S. population and 99% of the rural population. 64% of groundwater used in this country goes to irrigating crops.

Groundwater is found almost everywhere. It is recharged by rain and snow melt, and rises naturally to, or flows through, the surface through springs, lakes, and streams. It can also be brought to the surface through wells drilled into the aquifer.

When you have a well drilled, you are creating a channel into a broad unseen realm of water that is not confined to your own property and is not static. Groundwater moves—slowly, but it moves, and surface water moves into it. Nothing is isolated. Rain and snowfall, stormwater runoff, any chemicals applied to your lawn or garden, any malfunction in your septic system, or your neighbors’ system, or overflows from nearby farmland, can show up in the water that flows from your taps and garden hose. You tend to think of that as your water, but more accurately, it is our water, and we all have an impact on it, for good or ill.

And groundwater impacts us, far beyond the seemingly simple facts of a cool drink, a hot shower, and a sprinkler on your green lawn. Groundwater is a heat sink, which modifies surface temperature fluctuations by absorbing and storing heat from land surfaces during warm spells. A well-charged groundwater system can modify heatwave intensity by three degrees C. That is 5.4 degrees Farenheit, often the difference between hot and oppressive. The effect is especially pronounced in wooded areas. Groundwater access allows trees to transpire more effectively and cools the lower levels of the air.

Thus, a healthy groundwater supply can help protect us from climate change. Conversely, climate change impacts the groundwater supply. Globally, groundwater is warming due to surface heating. Excess heat causes increased transpiration, depleting groundwater and increasing salinity and concentrations of dissolved minterals. Groundwater loss can also affect groundwater-dependent ecosystems like springs, wetlands, and rivers—ecosystems that, when operating as they should, also protect us from climate change. It is a vicious circle, or a virtuous circle, and which is somewhat up to us.

Broadly, groundwater is polluted by our chemicals and nutrients, and depleted by leaky home systems. But there are many things we can all do to protect groundwater in general and our own wells in particular. Everything we do to prevent and mitigate climate change protects groundwater. Every action we take to create a yard welcoming to native species also protects groundwater. Natives have adapted to the local climate over millions of years, and do not need watering (depletion) or fertilizers (pollution). Letting part of your yard „rewild“ with native plants will reduce the need for watering and chemicals and let your small section of earth take part in the normal nutrient cycle.

Being careful about chemicals is crucial to groundwater protection. NGWA recommends reducing chemical use as much as possible around the home and yard. Use natural, nontoxic cleaners. Properly dispose of toxic substances like unused chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paint, and motor oil, rather than letting them accumulate. If the unthinkable happens and your house burns or floods, the accumulation will increase the likelihood of damage to your water supply and the site in general, as well as to neighbors downstream.

Never dump chemicals on the ground. They may disappear, but they don’t go ‘away’ as there is no away. Maintain a “clean” zone of at least 50 feet between your well and any chemical or biological pollutants, including kennels or livestock housing. If you farm, or a neighbor does, be aware that groundwater does move, and carries pollutants with it. Get your household well inspected annually, so problems can be caught in a timely fashion, and if there are any changes in color or odor, get your water tested.

As to depletion, simple steps can make a big difference. We in the northeast are used to a plentiful water supply, but a look at national statistics is eye-opening. Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons of water a day. The average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, according to the EPA. 30% of household water is used outdoors; in hot summer months or dry spells, this can rise to 70%. That leaky hose matters!

The fix is simple, and will sound familiar if you have read about or experienced California drought measures. Turn the faucet off when you brush your teeth. Fix all drips, indoors and out. Install water conserving fixtures. Take shorter showers, and only run dishwashers and washing machines when they are full. Water the lawn and garden during the cool of the day, and only when it is truly needed.

Keeping groundwater in the ground, available to quench our thirst, put out fires, water the garden, and cool the ambient air, is simple. We can all help each other, and the planet. It is the same with reducing chemical use and developing good storage practices. Can one household really make a difference? Yes—and many households can make a big difference.