Typical underground water resource drawing.

Fresno’s Declining Groundwater Levels

In the last 80 years, Fresno’s water level has dropped from less than 30 feet below the surface in 1930, to more than 128 feet below the surface in 2009.

As Fresno continues to grow, there is more demand on the groundwater supply. Taking out more water than is put back into an aquifer (groundwater) creates what is called an over-draft. This increases the depth to the water table and can create water quality problems with additional treatment costs. The City is forced to drill deeper water supply wells, which results in increased power costs to pump the water from the underground.

Further, as water is depleted from the underground, it is possible to cause land subsidence, a phenomena that happens over time where the surface of the land sinks because soil becomes compacted and is no longer able to hold water.

Currently most drinking water in the City is pumped from 255 water wells at an approximate cost of $9 million per year just for the electricity to run the pumps. 

Click below for graph of  Fresno's Historical Water Levels:

Water Table Graph

Water Table Data 

Water Budget