Is your well getting low?
Marylanders who rely on well water may be noticing their water tables are falling. Or at least they're worrying about their water and limiting their washing and sprinkling and flushing as a result.
The US Geological Survey has identified two Maryland monitoring wells that dropped to record lows by last month. The first is in Frederick County, the other in Charles County. Data collection at those wells only goes back to the 1980s, so we can't say these are historic lows, exactly. But hydrologists say the levels seen last month were lower than during the drought in 2002, which was pretty severe.
Here's the data for the Frederick well. Here's the same for the Charles well.
If the drought continues, more monitoring wells are expected to touch record lows. And more families will be following the old well-water adage: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
Even the Aussies have kicked that ball around. Here's a clip from last summer's drought down under. Anybody out there in the Maryland countryside worried about their well water? Do you eschew the casual flush?
Comments
The water tables have been STEADILY DROPPING FOR YEARS!! Yet MDE continues to issue Water Appropriation and Use Permits throughout the State!!
Posted by: Cheryl Thomas | August 7, 2007 7:04 AM
Both these water table monitoring wells reflect the effects of the current agricultural drought. At least in Charles County, most drinking water wells are drawing water from deep, confined aquifer systems that are not subject to short term climatic influence. That said, water conservation is something we all need to get more serious about!
Posted by: Frank Wise | August 7, 2007 9:45 AM