ABSTRACT

When developing a groundwater source for water supply, it is always recommended to include evaluation of the related impacts on the resource (aquifer) and, more broadly, on the water-supply management in the watershed as a whole. At the most basic level, groundwater supply can be dened as a process that secures enough water of suitable quality to meet demand, provided that this demand is reasonable and that there is no waste of water. At the same time, it cannot be overemphasized that groundwater is a key element of the overall hydrologic cycle. It is inseparable from surface water resources because it provides base¡ow to and sustains aquatic life in surface water streams, lakes, and wetlands and sometimes in the aquifer itself, such as in the case of karst environments (caves and conduits). Withdrawal of groundwater may affect surface water ¡ows and quality and vice versa. Surface water may become groundwater at some point, and the same water may again emerge as surface water after ¡owing through a groundwater system for miles and centuries. Upstream and upgradient withdrawal of surface water and groundwater, respectively, and upstream (upgradient) wastewater discharges will affect downstream users, water availability, and water quality. Whenever applicable, groundwater management should therefore be seamlessly integrated with the management of surface water, storm water, used water (wastewater), and rainwater, thus constituting integrated water resources management (IWRM; see Figure 9.1). As discussed by Rogers and Hall (2003), IWRM eschews politics and the traditional fragmented and sectoral approach to water  and makes a clear distinction between resource management and the water service delivery functions. It should be kept in mind, however, that IWRM is itself a political process because it deals with reallocation of water, the distribution of nancial resources, and the implementation of environmental goals. The political context affects political will and political feasibility. Detailed discussion on various aspects of groundwater management and water governance in general is provided by Kresic (2009).