Rising sea levels and intense rain patterns caused by climate change can limit future drinking water sources, according to University of Hawaiʻi researchers.
Hawaiʻi sources 99% of its domestic water sources from groundwater.
In a healthy water cycle, precipitation recharges groundwater, and gravity pulls the freshwater through the aquifer into the ocean — providing nutrients to marine plants.
The porous aquifer can move in the other direction, allowing seawater to flow into freshwater.
Earth scientists are concerned there can be too much saltwater entering the system as ocean levels rise.
Henrietta Dulai, a professor of earth science at UH Mānoa, says the local aquifers are in danger of deteriorating from seawater intrusion
"We’re already seeing seawater intrusion into aquifers. This is also then enhanced by pumping from an aquifer," Dulai said.
"When we over pump an aquifer, we artificially draw in that seawater to replace the freshwater that we have taken out from the ground. It’s a double problem in that we have sea level rise naturally by gravity causing more seawater intrusion, and of humans pumping freshwaters from the aquifers — drawing in even more," Dulai explained.
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply must be careful with the timing of pumping out more water from the ground, and civilians should avoid overusing water on a daily basis, Dulai told Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
