East Coast has a giant offshore freshwater aquifer

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/05/what-put-huge-quantities-of-freshwater-under-the-seabed/

by PaulHoule • 2 years ago

37 24 2 years ago

arstechnica.com

chiefalchemist• 2 years ago

Freshwater is perhaps the world’s most essential resource, but climate change is enhancing its scarcity

To be fair, so is population growth (responsible).

surfingdino5• 2 years ago

Humans are like any other species, we will continue reproducing till we consume all available resources.

lukan• 2 years ago

We did so since ancient times. The difference is, that with technology we constantly push the limits.

Having to find a spring vs. digging a well. But digging too many wells means the groundwater level drops. So a need for a new technology like desalination, etc.

HDThoreaun• 2 years ago

Most developed countries now have below replacement level birth rates

ndr42• 2 years ago

There is a correlation with education - longer access to it leads to lower birth rates [1] so in this regard humans are not like any other species.

[1] https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s...

more_corn• 2 years ago

Not true. Birth rates fall in developed countries like clockwork. Access to opportunities and control over our reproduction slows the growth rate to or below replacement levels.

We grow until we develop then we stop.

charles_f• 2 years ago

It is hard to grasp that this thing that falls freely from the sky and covers most of the surface of the earth is in short supply in its drinkable form for a growing part of our species, to the point that we're now looking at offshore platforms to find it.

Yet golf courses will be green till the end of civilisation.

achow2• 2 years ago

USA annual rainfall = 7000 Billion Cubic Meter [1]

Annual rain water runoff = 2100 Billion Cubic Meter. As per source runoff could be between 10% to 50%, taking 30% as a value [2]

USA annual consumption = 445 Billion Cubic Meter [3]

So, looks like one has to harvest 20-25% of the rainwater to be self sufficient (without tapping into ANY of the current source of water.)

[1] https://knoema.com/atlas/United-States-of-America/topics/Wat...

[2] https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-meteorology/Amoun...

[3] https://irrigreen.com/pages/water-consumption-statistics#:~:...

eesmith• 2 years ago

The problem with this analysis is it's hard to get the water from where it falls to where it's wanted.

There may be pie-in-the-sky ideas of a water pipeline from Alaska to California, or from the Great Lakes to Utah, but the costs are prohibitive.

jmclnx2• 2 years ago

The aquifer goes from Martha’s Vineyard to New Jersey plus they are looking into tapping it.

OK, but on the east cost, there is no shortage. I believe the only issue is the throughput of water treatment, local governments unwilling to maintain and build plants. Many of these plants are over 50 years old and only been maintained using duct tape and bandaids ;)

So where would this water go, plus how with will it be treated or are they assuming it is "pure" and just pass it on without treatment ?

gottorf• 2 years ago

OK, but on the east cost, there is no shortage.

Yeah, why are they talking about tapping offshore aquifers in areas that average 40+ inches (and increasing as of recent years) of rain a year? It seems to me a solution in search of a problem. It would be far cheaper to build land-based reservoirs and other water management infrastructure, as you mentioned.

486sx33• 2 years ago

Nestle wants to bottle it ?

East Coast has a giant offshore freshwater aquifer

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