Guidance, methods and frameworks.Mar 21, 2022

World Water Day 2022: Factsheet on groundwater and self-supply

Hand drawn style illustration representing a vertical cut of ground: trees and grass at the top labelled as 'farm land', next layer underneath is formed with big rocks above water labelled as 'unsaturated zone, then below if the saturated zone, made of rocks with water flowing in between. A zoom in area shows groundwater trapped in cracks'. On the right, an open body of surface water

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The theme of World Water Day 2022 is groundwater, which is the world’s largest source of freshwater, feeding into many vital systems (such as drinking water supplies, sanitation, farming, industry, and ecosystems). Yet it is largely out of sight and out of mind, hidden beneath our feet.

A new factsheet focusses on self-supply of groundwater, which is the extraction of groundwater by a household, to either fully supply their water requirements, or to supplement public supply services. It answers specific questions about how crucial self-supply is globally and what can be done to help it reach its maximum potential.

It has been compiled by Matthias Saladin (Skat Foundation), Tara Bartnik (WaterAid), John Butterworth (IRC), Vincent Casey (WaterAid), Kerstin Danert (Ask for Water GmbH), Jenny Grönwall (SIWI), and Tim Foster (Sydney University).