The 2026 United Nations University Report Global Water Bankruptcy frightened a great many people by declaring much of the world is currently in water bankruptcy – the state of water resources being so overused and degraded that they cannot be restored to their original condition and function.  It caused me to contemplate how much of our water resources in the United States are in this state of collapse. Might as well start with our most prolific, so I took a look at the Floridian aquifer in Florida. It is probably the country’s greatest aquifer and supports human consumption, agricultural irrigation, and industrial needs.

The Floridian aquifer underlies Florida, the southern parts of Georgia into coastal South Carolina, and parts of southern Alabama. It is a limestone aquifer and if you want to know something of its geology in Florida you can check out my blog post here ( The Floridian: An Aquifer is All About its Geology )The geology of an aquifer is important as it will tell you about flow, chemistry and a host of other important parameters. The Floridian aquifer through most of its’ extent is divided into an Upper Floridian aquifer and a Lower Floridian aquifer. The Upper aquifer is the good one which everyone likes to tap as the water quality is generally excellent and recharge from the surface and through karst features produces tons of flow. The Lower aquifer is confined in most areas by overlying thick formations of marls and siliclastics that restrict water flow into It from above. The water quality is also not very good and it is pretty deep, so drilling into it is costly for well development My attention then is solely on the Upper Floridian as to whether it is overused and degraded to the point where Floridians are going to be in trouble with water supply in the future.

The two major issues that could affect this mighty aquifer are karstification and salinization. Let’s look at the condition of karstification first. Karstification problems are most often caused by overuse. In other words, too much water in a concentrated area is being pumped out of the aquifer. Over pumping leads to increased solutioning of the limestone. Fractures, vugs and caverns all increase in size. In addition, over pumping causes the groundwater table to lower which can lead to collapse of the limestone formation. These collapsed areas are called sinkholes. Every once in a while you will see one on tv where a sinkhole has swallowed a house or road.

Most large cities in Florida have groundwater well fields where a number of wells have been drilled into the Upper Floridian.  When water is pumped from these well fields it produces what is known as drawdown. Water rushes into the screen of the wells and is pumped up to be stored above ground. As the water is pumped from near the well, water further from the well is drawn toward it. A cone of depression around the well is formed. The more the well is pumped the greater the cone of depression becomes. The water table will begin to lower, and the limestone once supported at the surface by the water begins to collapse.

One of the classic examples of well-field-related sinkhole problems comes from the municipal well fields north of Tampa. The U.S. Geological Survey documented that this Gulf Coastal Plain area was already densely pitted with natural sinkholes and sinkhole lakes, and  yet water authorities continued over pumping from the municipal well fields causing abrupt drops in groundwater levels. The surface began to collapse. Eventually many of the wells in the field were abandoned and to prevent further collapse pumping levels were curtailed. Alternative sources of water had to be added including river water, stored reservoir water and desalinated seawater to restore water supply to the city.

Salinization of the Upper Floridian is the other big threat to the aquifer. Salinization is the fancy scientific name when saltwater either from the ocean or from lower saline aquifers begins to intrude into a freshwater aquifer like the Upper Floridian. I’m always saying that every drop of water connects to every other drop of water on Earth, so salinization in coastal areas is quite common. The ocean and nearshore aquifers interact. If there is tidal flooding or a  drought then salt water from the ocean can intrude substantially into a fresh water aquifer.

But by far the greatest cause of saltwater intrusion into the Upper Floridian is once again over pumping. When water is withdrawn faster than it can be replenished, the pressure differential allows saltwater to migrate inland. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in highly populated areas and agricultural areas undergoing extensive irrigation.

Saltwater intrusion compromises the quality of drinking water by increasing salinity levels. Elevated salt concentrations pose health risks and can render groundwater unsuitable for consumption without costly treatment. Using saline water in agricultural operations can damage crops sensitive to salinity and in the long term result in salinization of soils rendering them infertile as nothing will be able to grow there.

Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties in south Florida are among the most severely impacted by saline intrusion. Dense urban development, high water demand, and proximity to the coast have accelerated salinization of the Upper Floridian aquifer. In southwest Florida the cities of Naples and Fort Myers face salinization of both potable water supplies and agricultural irrigation wells. In Miami-Dade County, saltwater intrusion has led to the closure of several municipal wellfields and the construction of inland wells. Similarly, in Tampa Bay, increased salinity in groundwater has necessitated investment in desalination facilities.

Unfortunately once saline water intrudes into an area, it can’t be reversed. Prevention is the only management strategy available. The state of Florida’s Environmental Protection Division and its’ five water management districts have teamed up with the U.S Geological Survey to put a prevention plan in place. A major component of their plan is to set Salt Water Intrusion Minimum Aquifer Levels, often called SWIMALs, for vulnerable areas of the Upper Floridan aquifer. These levels are designed to maintain enough freshwater pressure in the aquifer to slow or prevent regional saltwater movement. Another part of the state’s response is reducing dependence on fresh groundwater. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recognizes that groundwater withdrawals cannot continue to grow indefinitely without unacceptable impacts, including saltwater intrusion, reduced spring flows, lower lake levels, and wetland losses. As a result, the state promotes alternative water supplies such as reclaimed water, brackish groundwater, seawater desalination, stormwater, surface water, conservation projects, and aquifer storage and recovery. Florida is also experimenting with aquifer recharge projects that can help slow saltwater intrusion by increasing freshwater pressure in the aquifer. Hillsborough County provides a practical example. Working with the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the county has developed coastal recharge projects that inject highly treated reclaimed water into a non-drinking-water portion of the aquifer near the coast. The goal is to create a freshwater barrier between saltwater beneath Tampa Bay and the freshwater inland, while also supporting higher groundwater levels upstream of the recharge area.

So having examined the facts about damage to the Floridian aquifer in Florida can we say that the aquifer is in water bankruptcy. I think not. Salinization is localized and  management strategies are in place. The Floridian aquifer will continue throughout most of its extent to be a prolific water resource.