National Groundwater Awareness Week is here!

As we are celebrating the National Groundwater Awareness Week, let us take a moment to think about the importance of groundwater in our lives and why we need to protect and manage this precious resource sustainably.

Groundwater: The Invisible Lifeline of Our Planet

When we think about water, we often picture flowing rivers, vast oceans, or lakes. However, beneath our feet lies the most essential yet often overlooked resource on our planet— groundwater—providing drinking water to billions, sustaining agriculture, and maintaining ecosystems.

Groundwater provides nearly 50% of the population with drinking water worldwide. In rural areas, most residents depend on groundwater.

About 70% of groundwater withdrawn worldwide is used for agriculture. United States is among the top three nations with the largest estimated groundwater extraction.

California alone is the largest agricultural producer in the U.S. and one of the most groundwater-dependent states, groundwater supplying about 40% of the state’s total water needs in a normal year and up to 60% during droughts.

Groundwater: Hearth of the Home

Some childhood memories stay with us forever and teach us life-long lessons. My family lived in a single home in a rural area that solely depended on groundwater. Initially, we did not even have a domestic well and would carry water from neighbors’ wells, sometimes from long distances. Looking back now, I realize how hard it was to just to have enough for our basic needs, like drinking and cooking. One of my fondest memories is the groundwater well my father finally decided to put in our backyard. It was more than just a water source; it was the center of our world and changed our lives forever. It was a place where memories were made, and lessons learned.

Every morning, my family would pump that well, and draw cool, fresh water that tasted different than any tap water—crisp and refreshing, bringing a taste of the earth itself. As years went by our dependence on the well grew when my parents started a garden. We would all enjoy fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits all summer long that had been watered with groundwater from our well. On sizzling summer days, we would play around the well, letting cool water run down our arms and legs. In my mind as a child the well was magical, never dry and a never-ending source of life. It was the heart of our home!

I eventually went to college to study agricultural engineering and then hydrologic science at graduate school. Looking back, my interest in nature and environment started from childhood with the well in our backyard and bloomed into passion for the groundwater field.

Every Drop Counts!

That groundwater well served our family as long as I could remember. It no longer stands but even now is a symbol of my childhood. The hardship of carrying water for daily needs taught me simple yet life-long habits as a child, like conserving water. I turn off the tab water when not in use (while brushing my teeth or washing my hands). I collect water in the kitchen from washing vegetables and fruits and reuse it to water plants instead of pouring it down the drain. Having water from the well changed our lives so much that it still makes me appreciate the value of water in our lives and the responsibility we all have to manage it carefully.

Groundwater may be hidden beneath the surface, but its importance to our lives is undeniable. Let’s work together to protect groundwater - one of nature’s most precious gifts!