NASA research shows 21 of the world’s 37 largest aquifers, from Asia and Europe to California’s Central Valley, “have passed their sustainability tipping points, meaning more water was removed than replaced during the decade-long study,” says the Washington Post. “Thirteen aquifers declined at rates that put them into the most troubled category. The researchers said this indicated a long-term problem that’s likely to worsen as reliance on aquifers grows.”
Underground aquifers provide 35 percent of water used by people around the world. Scientists used NASA satellites to measure aquifers. The most stressed aquifer in the world was the Arabian Aquifer, while the Central Valley Aquifer in California was the most troubled in the United States, said the Post. Pumping from the aquifer has increased as drought persists in California. “Also running a negative balance was the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer, which stretches across the southeast coast and Florida.”
In the West, water is a property right, and in Colorado there is a scuffle over ownership of rainwater that drains from the roofs of homes, says the New York Times. State legislators ran into intense opposition to a proposal that would encourage homeowners to save rainwater for use on their lawns and gardens rather than rely on tap water. “But some irrigation officials and politicians who represent thirsty ranchers on the state’s eastern plains saw a threat – as well as a violation of property rights and water principles that are written into the state Constitution,” says the Times.