9.2 Water Quantity

Domestic well water quantity problems are likely to increase in the future due to increased frequency of droughts associated with climate change and aquifer depletion caused by increased pumping. As water tables decline, shallow domestic wells will be the first to go dry. In the more extreme cases, the water table will become too deep to be accessed by domestic wells at an affordable cost to homeowners.

Researchers have suggested that legislation and sustainable planning initiatives are needed that specifically include the protection of domestic wells from declining groundwater levels. In cases where aquifer depletion is occurring, this could be done by setting minimum groundwater level targets that support domestic well use. This would need to be done in combination with effective groundwater withdrawal permitting systems that include the monitoring of groundwater withdrawal volumes and adequate groundwater level monitoring. Domestic well owners could also be protected by providing grants, low-cost loans, and tax rebates for replacing water wells that have gone dry.