180
8 Groundwater Management
annual overdraft volume increased from 10 billion m
3 in the 1980s to 22.8 billion m
3
at present, and the overdraft area has increased from 56,000 to 180,000 km
2 (Wang
et al. 2010). In the Hai River Basin, the cumulated overdraft has exceeded 40 billion
m
3 , and the confined groundwater development has accumulated to 90 billion m
3 . In
Beijing, the exploitation was 2.12 billion m
3 in 2010, while the annual sustainable
yield is 1.8 billion m
3 (Zhang 2002; Beijing Water Affair Bureau 2011).
Groundwater level decrease. At present, 65% of domestic water use, 50% of
industrial water use, and 33% of irrigation water use are supplied by groundwater
in northern China. More than 400 of China’s 655 cities depend on groundwater
supply. This wide use and overdraw have decreased groundwater levels continuously, resulting in the formation of groundwater funnels. In 2009, 240 groundwater
funnels were monitored, of which 115 were shallow groundwater and 125 were deep
groundwater. The deep groundwater funnels in the eastern parts of the NCP exceed
70,000 km
2 , with a 30–50 m decline of water levels in some cities and a cumulative
decline of over 100 m in certain regions (MEP 2011). In Beijing, monthly groundwater levels decreased more than 20 m from 1980 to 2010 (Fig. 8.2) (Beijing Water
Affair Bureau 2011). In Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province, in the western
part of the NCP, groundwater levels have decreased more than 40 m since 1965 (Fei
et al. 2005).
Groundwater quality deterioration. According to the 2000–2002 national
groundwater resources assessment based on the “Groundwater Quality Standard”
(GB/T14848-93), 63% of groundwater has a quality between Class I and Class III,
while 37% is Class IV or Class V.
1 Southern China has good groundwater quality, but
the shallow groundwater in some plains is heavily polluted. Northern China has good
groundwater quality in the mountains and the plains near mountains, but the quality
deteriorates moving eastward through the plains, with the lowest quality in the coastal
areas (MLR 2010). In 2009, only 2.3% of 641 wells analyzed in eight provinces were
Class I or II, with 23.9% at Class III, and the rest Class IV and Class V. The main
pollutant index included total hardness, NH 3 –N, No 2
− , No 3
− , iron, and manganese.
According to the Urban Drinking Water Supply Guarantee Plan (2006–2020), about
20% of urban centralized groundwater sources had a water quality worse than Class
III. Besides the general chemical index, some cities were investigated for carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic indicators (MEP 2011). In the NCP, where groundwater quality is a key concern, the areas around the industrial cities (including Tianjin,
Shijiazhuang and Tangshan in Hebei Province, and Dezhou in Shandong Province)
have heavy metal pollution in groundwater. Other areas (including southern Beijing,
1 Groundwater quality classification in PRC: Class I mainly reflects the natural background concentrations of the chemical components of groundwater, and is applicable to all purposes. Class II
mainly reflects the natural background concentrations of the chemical components of groundwater,
and is applicable to all purposes. Class III is based on human health benchmark values, and is mainly
applicable to centralized drinking water sources and industrial and agricultural water use. Class IV
is based on agricultural and industrial water use requirements, and can be used as drinking water
after proper treatment, in addition to being applicable to agriculture and some industrial water. Class
V is not applicable to drinking, other use can be decided according to the purpose of use.
8 Groundwater Management
annual overdraft volume increased from 10 billion m
3 in the 1980s to 22.8 billion m
3
at present, and the overdraft area has increased from 56,000 to 180,000 km
2 (Wang
et al. 2010). In the Hai River Basin, the cumulated overdraft has exceeded 40 billion
m
3 , and the confined groundwater development has accumulated to 90 billion m
3 . In
Beijing, the exploitation was 2.12 billion m
3 in 2010, while the annual sustainable
yield is 1.8 billion m
3 (Zhang 2002; Beijing Water Affair Bureau 2011).
Groundwater level decrease. At present, 65% of domestic water use, 50% of
industrial water use, and 33% of irrigation water use are supplied by groundwater
in northern China. More than 400 of China’s 655 cities depend on groundwater
supply. This wide use and overdraw have decreased groundwater levels continuously, resulting in the formation of groundwater funnels. In 2009, 240 groundwater
funnels were monitored, of which 115 were shallow groundwater and 125 were deep
groundwater. The deep groundwater funnels in the eastern parts of the NCP exceed
70,000 km
2 , with a 30–50 m decline of water levels in some cities and a cumulative
decline of over 100 m in certain regions (MEP 2011). In Beijing, monthly groundwater levels decreased more than 20 m from 1980 to 2010 (Fig. 8.2) (Beijing Water
Affair Bureau 2011). In Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province, in the western
part of the NCP, groundwater levels have decreased more than 40 m since 1965 (Fei
et al. 2005).
Groundwater quality deterioration. According to the 2000–2002 national
groundwater resources assessment based on the “Groundwater Quality Standard”
(GB/T14848-93), 63% of groundwater has a quality between Class I and Class III,
while 37% is Class IV or Class V.
1 Southern China has good groundwater quality, but
the shallow groundwater in some plains is heavily polluted. Northern China has good
groundwater quality in the mountains and the plains near mountains, but the quality
deteriorates moving eastward through the plains, with the lowest quality in the coastal
areas (MLR 2010). In 2009, only 2.3% of 641 wells analyzed in eight provinces were
Class I or II, with 23.9% at Class III, and the rest Class IV and Class V. The main
pollutant index included total hardness, NH 3 –N, No 2
− , No 3
− , iron, and manganese.
According to the Urban Drinking Water Supply Guarantee Plan (2006–2020), about
20% of urban centralized groundwater sources had a water quality worse than Class
III. Besides the general chemical index, some cities were investigated for carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic indicators (MEP 2011). In the NCP, where groundwater quality is a key concern, the areas around the industrial cities (including Tianjin,
Shijiazhuang and Tangshan in Hebei Province, and Dezhou in Shandong Province)
have heavy metal pollution in groundwater. Other areas (including southern Beijing,
1 Groundwater quality classification in PRC: Class I mainly reflects the natural background concentrations of the chemical components of groundwater, and is applicable to all purposes. Class II
mainly reflects the natural background concentrations of the chemical components of groundwater,
and is applicable to all purposes. Class III is based on human health benchmark values, and is mainly
applicable to centralized drinking water sources and industrial and agricultural water use. Class IV
is based on agricultural and industrial water use requirements, and can be used as drinking water
after proper treatment, in addition to being applicable to agriculture and some industrial water. Class
V is not applicable to drinking, other use can be decided according to the purpose of use.