Digging into Aquifers in Tough Landscapes Around the Globe
In a world that depends on liquid fresh water, almost all of it—99%—lies buried beneath the Earth’s surface, with the remaining 1% found in rivers and lakes.
Since ancient times, people have tapped groundwater through wells, with many going to only shallow depths, but some reaching aquifers as far down as 200 or 300 feet.
In the 1860s, the first super-deep aquifer was discovered in the upper Midwest in the US. Known as the Deep Sandstone Aquifer, it is still supplying millions of gallons of water every day to Chicago and four other states.
Technological advances have now revealed the existence of many more large bodies of water lying far below the Earth’ surface.
With drought or extreme stress threatening people in 36 countries, new efforts are underway to harvest … massive sources of fresh water—including those located in difficult terrain.
About 2 billion people already lack access to safe drinking water, the UN says in its Sustainable Development Goal Report 2022. With drought or extreme stress threatening people in 36 countries, new efforts are underway to harvest these massive sources of fresh water—including those located in difficult terrain.
Adding to the urgency are growing concerns about pollution contaminating these precious resources and how to best harvest them safely.
Self-Replenishing Aquifers Abound
Around the world, four billion people depend on shallow groundwater sources to produce food and drink, according to the Canadian charity The Groundwater Project. About 25% of all freshwater is used for irrigation, and half of the freshwater is used for domestic purposes, says the UN’s Water Development Report 2024.
Most of these underground sources fully replenish themselves—or grow—via snow, rain, and other avenues, but some do not.
In a 2024 study, researchers found that out of 1,693 globally distributed aquifer systems, groundwater levels have grown in 617 (36%) of them while only 97 (6%) became shallower over time.
The researchers also gathered trend data for 542 of these aquifer systems from 1980 to 2000. They could see that 30% of these systems saw groundwater-level decline at an accelerated rate. However, almost half (49%) saw increased groundwater levels.
Groundwater Contamination Worries
In addition to concerns about access to fresh water, there is worrisome evidence about groundwater contamination from long-lasting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of manufactured chemicals found in everyday items such as food packaging, fabrics to make clothes, and contents used in firefighting foam, that can accumulate in people and the environment.
While PFAS are hailed as effective synthetic chemicals for industry, critics are calling for their ban due to detrimental health effects and their potentially negative impact on groundwater. One study published in 2022 in Environmental Science & Technology Journal analyzed 254 groundwater samples taken from Eastern US states in 2019. The researchers detected at least one PFAS in 54% of samples, while at least two PFAS were found in 47% of them.
Overall, the USGS researchers’ model indicates that as many as 95 million people ... may rely on pre-treated groundwater with detectable PFAS for their drinking water.
In a 2024 study by the US Geological Survey (USGS), researchers assessed 1,238 groundwater samples from across 48 US states. At least one PFAS was detected in 37% of the samples taken. Overall, the USGS researchers’ model indicates that as many as 95 million people in these states may rely on pre-treated groundwater with detectable PFAS for their drinking water.
Delving Deeper into Groundwater Sources
Finding and developing new underground deep-water sources will be necessary as populations grow and some aquifers shrink.
In the US, the largest underground body of water is the 36,293-square-mile Ogallala Aquifer, which spans High Plains states from Texas to South Dakota.
While most of its operational parts are up to 200 feet deep, it has system components that reach between 1,000 feet and 1,200 feet deep. This range gives companies the potential to access groundwater and develop sourcing capabilities.
The availability of water from the Ogallala Aquifer “is critical to the economy of the region, as approximately 95% of groundwater pumped is used for irrigated agriculture,” says the Texas Water Development Board.
Moreover, throughout much of the aquifer, “groundwater withdrawals exceed the amount of recharge, and water levels have declined fairly consistently through time,” the Texas board says.
Indeed, the Ogallala Aquifer’s water levels experienced an estimated decline of 15.8 feet from 1950 to 2015, based on USGS data. This indicates that new sources of groundwater are needed.
Accessing Deep Aquifers
AquaterreX LLC, a global environmental services operation with offices in California, Florida, and Australia, is known for its ability to reach “Deep-Seated Water” (DSW), a trademarked term describing high-quality groundwater, typically sourced from deeper aquifers that are located below shallow aquifers.
[AquaterreX] uses a geospatial data analysis and assessment method to find water that is 200 to 300 meters (around 656 feet to 984 feet) below the Earth’s surface.
The company uses a geospatial data analysis and assessment method to find water that is 200 to 300 meters (around 656 feet to 984 feet) below the Earth’s surface.
The company, which says its approach is designed to mitigate any environmental impacts and concerns, has done groundwater projects in New Mexico; Texas; Australia; and now Chile, among others, since its founding in 2018.
“AquaterreX is the only company employing this combination of technology to locate and bring this source of fresh water to the surface,” says AquaterreX President James D'Arezzo. “In addition, DSW is a supplemental source of water that has not been made available to solve the planet's water challenges.”
Aquifers are replenished through the rain and snow that flow into local catchment basins. Since DSWs are deeper than shallow aquifers, they are less impacted by abrupt changes in regional hydrological cycles relating to rainfall and climate, AquaterreX notes. In addition, the vast amounts of water in these subterranean bodies can be used to locate deeper sources.
AquaterreX states that the world is not facing a lack of water but rather a lack of knowledge on where to find it. A 2015 study estimated there were 22.6 million cubic kilometers of groundwater in the top 2 kilometers of the Earth’s crust. That is enough water to supply Earth for over 5,700 years at today’s global freshwater consumption rates of 3,949 billion cubic meters (or 3,949 cubic kilometers), based on the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s AQUASTAT Dissemination System’s estimate in 2021.
[22.6 million cubic kilometers] is enough water to supply Earth for over 5,700 years at today’s global freshwater consumption rates of 3,949 billion cubic meters (or 3,949 cubic kilometers).
While alternative sources to groundwater exist—such as desalination and unsustainable water management practices—these are expensive and/or entirely inaccessible for populations living in poverty.
Non-profit Background
The research and development behind AquaterreX's DSW wells originated with AquaterreX’s non-profit parent organization, The Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization (LAEO). As LAEO co-founder and International President Barbara Wiseman explains in her biography, she “came across a relatively unknown science for water.” This led to a team of scientists developing the Deep Seated Water Technology, a registered term, to “locate sustainable water resources in drought-prone regions.”
In 2018, the for-profit company, AquaterreX LLC, was established. “Since then, the technology has been significantly improved to the point where AquaterreX has a near-100% certainty in locating underground water sources,” says D’Arezzo.
One of the obvious places to use the DSW technology was Australia, D'Arezzo says. Australia is the world’s driest inhabited continent and “one of the leading countries in terms of mapping its natural resources, including geology,” he says.
Methodology Limitations
Despite its development over almost two decades, challenges remain within AquaterreX’s DSW groundwater process. For instance, assembling vast amounts of data and processing it through AquaterreX’s proprietary computer algorithms is a complex process.
“[A]cquiring, geologic, hydrologic, atmospheric, topographic, well log data, satellite imagery, and other information, which, when combined will reveal the optimum locations for ‘Deep-Seated Water’ (DSW).”
“This means acquiring, geologic, hydrologic, atmospheric, topographic, well log data, satellite imagery, and other information, which, when combined will reveal the optimum locations for DSW,” says D’Arezzo. Additionally, AquaterreX must then conduct an on-site survey, which can pose challenges regarding weather, terrain, and accessibility.
Despite these hurdles, DSW technology has been used to find groundwater in over 1,500 wells across Australia, the US, Africa, and Asia. The company states these drills have occurred in wells “where no water can be found.” In addition, it states that utilizing its technology enables AquaterreX to identify groundwater with nearly 100% certainty compared to an “industry average of 40%.”
Digging in Chile’s Atacama Plateau
AquaterreX’s current projects include locating DSW on the Atacama Plateau (or Atacama Desert) in Chile, an exceptionally dry region near the Salar de Atacama—the world’s largest source of lithium.
“We did this for Kinross Mining of Canada, as they wanted to locate water that would not interfere with the water needs of the Indigenous Tribes that live in the area,” says D’Arezzo.
As part of its Chilean project, AquaterreX performed its typical Phase I and II activities, which included sending a team to survey the area of interest at 12,000-14,000-foot elevations.
As part of Phase I, AquaterreX used satellite imagery and data analysis to identify potential water locations. The company used a combination of geologic, hydrologic, atmospheric data, and advanced algorithms to locate areas of interest.
AquaterreX then moved on to Phase II and underwent a field assessment on site using its patented seismic and electro-resistivity technologies. These were employed to pinpoint well bores and identify the specific area AquaterreX would probe for groundwater.
Using above-ground data, AquaterreX developed a clear picture of how much freshwater was contained within the targeted area before digging. Virtual well data gave information on various factors, including the depth of groundwater, the thickness of water-bearing strata, estimated flow rates.
In August, AquaterreX reported that it had located the deep water with precise well locations and could “meet the water volume requirements desired by the mining company ... without disrupting the shallow aquifer ecosystem” that local populations depend on.
Editorial notes
Source: Interview with James D'Arezzo, President of Aquaterrex
*Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe is a freelance journalist and editor. Over the past 10 years, Natasha has reported for a host of publications, exploring the wider world and industries from environmental, scientific, business, legal, and sociological perspectives. Natasha has also been interviewed as an insight provider for research institutes and conferences.
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