Ground Water Overdrafting Must Be Controlled

The demand for water in many areas of the Nation is being met by overdrafting ground water, extracting more ground water than will be replenished over a long period of time. Overdrafting is not necessarily bad; however, if it is continued indefinitely, the resulting problems may ultimately affect the Nation's ability to meet ever-increasing demands for food and other agricultural products. Therefore, GAO undertook a review of the numerous problems associated with ground water overdrafting to determine the seriousness of the overdrafting problems in States and communities that have not implemented ground water controls.