Groundwater Pumping
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (128824)
Gainesville, Florida
January 6, 2016 6:15pm CST
I'm not sure if this is an issue nationwide, but here in Florida groundwater pumping has become a very heated and debated and controversial subject. It seems that as Florida's population continues to grow, we are now removing water from the aquifer faster than it can be replenished. The result is frightening, as lakes and rivers throughout the state have shown a noticeable decrease in depth levels. In addition, the thousands of springs that dot the landscape around the state have seen a reduction in flow as well. There is also the very real threat of saltwater intrusion into the aquifer as we continue to suck fresh water out of the ground.
There has been much discussion on the world stage about the global shortage of fresh water. Many experts say that most of our future wars will possibly be fought over water, rather than ideology or religion or politics. It's quite frightening to think of, now that we're realizing that our resources are not infinite. There is only so much fresh water to go around, and as the population continues to grow, the water is going to become more and more scarce.
But what about locally? What's going to happen when there's not enough water in our own states? Are states going to go to war with each other over water? How are we going to solve our own water crisis?
Is the availability of fresh water a concern or an issue where you live?
6 people like this
5 responses
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
23 Oct 17
@moffittjc I'm not totally sure of the water issues in the city areas but during the summers more in the outback there are often major concerns. Droughts and poor cattle dying from the heat and thirst.
I worry sometimes about what would happen to people if water was becoming more rare. People can get greedy and unfair when there's a shortage of things. Scary.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Oct 17
There are many people who believe that all our future wars will be fought over water, instead of politics, geography or other natural resources like oil or precious metals. There is only a limited supply of fresh water on this planet, yet our population continues to explode in growth.
But don't worry, if there is every a global water shortage, you can come stay with me and I will quench your thirst!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
24 Oct 17
@VivaLaDani13 I will fly over to Perth, pick you up, bring you back to America, and then give you a taste of the most delectable liquid you have ever tasted.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60812)
• Perth, Australia
24 Oct 17
@moffittjc lol need I ask how you will do that?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381739)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Jan 16
Water was always a concern when I was growing up on a farm. Where we live now it isn't an issue but I still can't bear to waste water. We have a deep-water bore for gardens and we retic the area for our outdoor concerts. We catch rain-water off the roof for use in the house.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jan 16
Down in the Florida Keys (the island chain between mainland US and Cuba), fresh water is considered about as valuable as gold, and you will see all the houses on the island collect their rainwater from their roofs to use for various things. Maybe we all should follow that example.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jan 16
@JudyEv Can you collect the rainwater from your roof? Or do they frown upon that?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381739)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Jan 16
@moffittjc In some countries (and areas) the rainwater isn't clean enough to be safe because of the pollution in the air. In parts of Queensland it is illegal to trap rainwater beyond certain amounts. They consider it better if it goes back into the ground naturally to feed the aquifers.
1 person likes this
@bookbar (1609)
• Sudbury, England
7 Jan 16
Lack of water isn't an issue here in the UK, where we only get Occasional drought problems and with recent storms and flooding,if anything we have too much
@bookbar (1609)
• Sudbury, England
8 Jan 16
@moffittjc A few up North would love to be able to, right now, to get their feet dry again
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jan 16
The UK has definitely gotten its share of rain recently! Too bad you can't ship some of that water to California!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jan 16
@bookbar Hopefully they'll dry out soon. No fun being wet all the time!
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
7 Jan 16
SoCal steals water from NoCal and Colorado. This is not a new problem. Why can't water be piped from very wet areas to dry ones? We pipe oil.
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Jan 16
There are some proposals floating around the Florida legislature to authorize pumping water from north Florida to south Florida. It's a huge controversy and has gotten everybody stirred up. There's absolutely no reason why we can't pipe water from wet places to dry places, there just needs to be the political willpower to do so!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jan 16
@ElizabethWallace What is really amazing (well, sad is more accurate), is that we have the technology to convert seawater to freshwater, yet we very rarely do so. Considering where I live in Florida is surrounded by ocean on three sides, why in God's name are there not desalinization plants all up and down the coast? The answer is so simple, our government just doesn't want to spend the money.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
8 Jan 16
@moffittjc In the "old days" there were battles in the West over grazing land and water. I think this is just the updated version of the same problems, managing resources so the most people benefit.
@Elizaby (6902)
• Pensacola, Florida
7 Jan 16
There is already a battle in the state with Georgia taking water from river that flows into bays disturbing oyster production
@moffittjc (128824)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jan 16
When I was writing this post, I was thinking of the water wars (politically speaking of course) Tennessee and Georgia had several years ago, and just realized when I read your comment that the same lakes they were fighting over were the same lakes that supplies water to the Appalachicola River. Do you remember when Florida was going to sue Georgia because they were trying to hold on to all the water and keep it from going down river?
