Domestic-well failure mitigation and costs in groundwater management planning: observations from recent groundwater sustainability plans in California, USA

Gailey, Robert M.; Lund, Jay R.; Philipp, Jon R.

Domestic-well failure mitigation and costs in groundwater management planning: observations from recent groundwater sustainability plans in California, USA | Atténuation des défaillances des puits domestiques et coûts dans la planification de la gestion des eaux souterraines: observations des récents plans de durabilité des eaux souterraines en Californie, États-Unis Mitigación de deficiencias en pozos domésticos y costes en la planificación de la gestión de las aguas subterráneas: observaciones de los recientes planes de sostenibilidad de las aguas subterráneas en California, EEUU 地下水管理计划中的生活供水井失效的缓解措施和成本:美国加州近期地下水可持续性计划的经验 Mitigação da perda de integridade de poços domésticos e custos de planejamento do gerenciamento de água subterrânea: observações dos planos de sustentabilidade recentes na Califórnia, EUA

2022

Gailey, Robert M. | Lund, Jay R. | Philipp, Jon R.

Domestic supply wells meet much of the world’s potable water demand. These wells tend to fail as regional groundwater levels decline from intensive agricultural groundwater use, especially during drought when additional pumping occurs. This work examines approaches for addressing impacts on domestic wells in much of the San Joaquin Valley in California, USA, where groundwater management is now required. Mitigation actions and their costs are considered to allow continued well operations as groundwater levels decline to target levels specified in groundwater management plans. The estimated total mitigation cost for groundwater-level declines to the planned management targets ranges from $42 to $96 million depending upon well retirement age. If groundwater levels decline further to defined limits below the management targets allowed during drought, costs increase by $78 to $153 million. There will likely be competition for specialized labor to implement the mitigation actions since agricultural wells will also be affected. Unless current groundwater management plans become more stringent and specify shallower groundwater depth targets, proactive mitigation should be considered for the most vulnerable areas to prevent impacts from growing beyond the capacity for timely mitigation and to avoid widespread failure of rural domestic water supplies. The cost of mitigation for impacted wells is estimated to be less than 2% of the benefit to agriculture from being allowed to pump groundwater in excess of management targets during a multiyear drought.

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