Whether we realize it or not, groundwater affects each one of us every day. Half of the U.S. population and approximately 97 percent of Great Miami River Watershed residents rely on groundwater for their water supply. In fact, 75 percent of all U.S. cities use groundwater as part of their water supply.

We usually don’t give groundwater a second thought until something goes wrong—either we have too much groundwater (in a flooded basement), too little groundwater (a well has gone dry), or the groundwater supply is contaminated and no longer fit to drink. This section talks about groundwater use: how much we use, how we access it, how we test it and what laws are related to it.