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Sustainable Underground Storage of Recoverable Water
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As I write this, news articles from the last two weeks include “Shrinking Reservoirs Raise Concerns for Water storage” (Hutchinson [Kansas] News, July 2, 2007), “Solution to Our Dwindling Water Supply Lies Below: Subsurface Water Storage is an Economic Way to Address Seasonal Shortages” (Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, June 28, 2007), and “Naples' Plan for Water Storage Well Hits Snag” (Naples [Florida] News, June 20, 2007). Virtually every day’s newspaper articles describe difficult choices that have to be made in water management all over the country and the possible role of underground storage of water in addressing these challenges.
Putting away water in times of abundance and retrieving it in times of need is nothing new. Traditionally water has been stored in surface reservoirs. However, problems associated with surface reservoirs, such as, evaporative losses, sediment accumulation, land consumption, and ecological impacts, have driven water managers to seek alternatives for providing reliable water supplies.
One of these alternatives is storing water underground. The number of these projects has grown in the last two decades. From 3 underground storage systems in 1983, the number jumped to 72 in late 2005 with projections indicating continued increases. Many of these projects are being developed in areas where water supply crises are anticipated in the future. Throughout the United States, freshwater supplies may be hard pressed to meet projected needs for a variety of reasons, such as overdrafted aquifers, increased competitive use of water, and climate change. While there is no indication of any slowdown in the number of projects being planned and developed, many scientific, operational, and institutional issues remain to be addressed–hence, the timing of this study.
National Academy - Organizational Body
1st Edtion
0-309-11439-X,
NONE
Sustainable Underground Storage of Recoverable Water
Management
English
2008
1-351
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