MAINE'S GROUNDWATER RESOURCES – IS THERE ENOUGH ?

Recently, an increase in large-scale groundwater withdrawals in Maine has created concerns about whether or not there is enough water to sustain these uses now, and into the future. In order to develop rational policies and make thoughtful decisions in managing our ground water resources a basic understanding of groundwater as it occurs in Maine is required. Accurate information about the current distribution, availability, quality and use of water in the State is necessary to answer the following questions:

• Where does groundwater occur in Maine?

• How much groundwater do we have ?

• What is the quality of Maine's groundwater ?

• How much groundwater do we use ?

• How do we use it ?

• What areas of the State are experiencing groundwater-related problems now ?

Several entities are responsible for collecting groundwater information including State and Federal agencies, research institutions, water utilities, agricultural water users, and the private sector. An increased emphasis on sustainable water management identified the need for a more integrated approach to the collection and analysis of water resources data in the State. As the result of collaborative efforts between these groups, our understanding of the occurrence and use of Maine's groundwater resources has been refined. A brief overview summarizing our current understanding of groundwater resources Maine will be presented.