Campbell provided in 2021 another of his earlier reports of possible interest, pursuant to his intent expressed in a recent publication (here). He opined in this paper that new methods, procedures, and devices are transforming the way the water-supply industry will do business in the 21st Century. Past practices point the way to improved technological and managerial efficiency in groundwater development, water-well construction, maintenance, and protection from contamination. The cost-benefit of the use of groundwater and surface water requires new ways to meet demands involving conjunctive use programs.
Past practices have depleted the low-cost, high-quality groundwater resources, and as a result water costs will be higher in the future as high-cost, low quality surface water resources are brought on-line. With the aid of the Internet, new developments will be distributed faster than ever before. With the aid of EPA and state regulatory programs, in cooperation with local utility management, the public will be supplied with relevant, timely information on the quality of drinking water it consumes. The general prognosis is good. The details require attention. He discusses the likely future directions of technology in the groundwater industry but needed to define a few terms. Next, he evaluates where we have been in the field before we look into the future. Environmental technology involves the methods, procedures, and devices we use to assess environmental conditions.
Developing, maintaining and protecting groundwater supplies over the past century began by drilling a hole in the ground and pumping water to the surface. New technology was neither available nor needed. In the early 1970s, however, early federal legislation mandated that a young U.S. EPA take note that groundwater was becoming the primary source of drinking water in the U.S. and take steps to protect that valuable natural resource from growing agricultural and industrial contamination. EPA and other federal agencies funded major studies on water well technology. Read on. This was later updated for a Chinese journal, EnviroTechnology (2004).
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