Associate Professor Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Over a third of global water withdrawal comes from groundwater. Groundwater is used to support the US economy but the precise location of groundwater use and the industries that depend on groundwater are unknown at a national scale. We have compiled a national groundwater well database describing the location and characteristics of groundwater wells within each state to better understand how groundwater is accessed and used. Groundwater well data varied across states, as did the quality and completeness of the data. The nationwide groundwater well database was analyzed to determine which industries are supported by different aquifers, how wells are distributed across the United States, and the temporal and spatial trends in well drillings. This presentation will detail the properties of the national groundwater well database and discuss initial findings. The national groundwater well database will serve as a critical tool in refining our understanding of how groundwater is used throughout the United States.
