NORTH CAROLINA GROUNDWATER MONITORING: ENHANCED COVERAGE THROUGH COOPERATIVE WELL NETWORKS AND MANDATORY MONITORING BY COASTAL PLAIN WATER USERS

Groundwater accounts for more than 50% of North Carolina’s domestic, agricultural, and industrial water supply. As part of their commitment to sustainable groundwater stewardship, the Department of Environmental Quality and its preceding agencies continuously monitor groundwater levels through a state-run monitoring well network. These data are supplemented semi-annual groundwater quality sampling and through additional monitoring wells operated and maintained by local governments and organizations or by permitted groundwater users in the Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area. Data collected from the MWN are available to the public through DWR’s HydroMap web interface. This presentation will provide an overview of North Carolina’s groundwater monitoring data and resources and discuss the how these data inform groundwater policy and planning.