Global groundwater wells at risk of running dry

When your well runs dry Groundwater provides nearly half of the water used for agricultural irrigation and most of the drinking water for billions of people. It is essential, then, for this resource to remain secure. Jasechko and Perrone examined data from approximately 39 million wells in 40 countries worldwide to investigate their vulnerability to declining water levels (see the Perspective by Famiglietti and Ferguson). The authors found that construction of deeper wells is not occurring in some areas that are experiencing groundwater decline, a disconnect that poses risks for people who rely on well water. Science , this issue p. 418 ; see also p. 344