Under the Surface: The Untold Crisis of European Groundwater

Europe has long been proud of its clean water; accessible, abundant and drinkable. Most of what we drink, irrigate our gardens and crops with, and use for industrial production, comes from deep underground, from within vast labyrinths of aquifers.

This precious groundwater sustains an entire continent, and has helped to turn Europe into one of the most sanitary and prosperous regions in the world. For nearly one hundred years, nations have tapped deeper into the earth to extract water, confident that this infinite resource will forever be replenished by rainfall.

Now our understanding has shifted drastically. Scientists have increasingly warned in recent years that this delicate ecosystem is in crisis. And that climate change and industrial overexploitation have resulted in a dramatic decline in the quality and quantity of underground freshwater in Europe and the world.

Under the Surface project delved into official data from European countries to reveal for the first time the extent of the danger we are facing. 14 journalists from seven countries analysed the most up-to-date official EU figures to create an interactive map of the perilous state of Europe’s aquifers. The conclusion is that our water is disappearing and what remains is facing near-irreversible pollution.

Image: Antonio Delgado/Datadista

VENENO EN EL GRIFO: RUTA POR LA ESPAÑA SIN DERECHO A AGUA POTABLE
Meses analizando datos y recorriendo la España con el agua contaminada. Causas, lucha, soluciones.
Proyecto #Underthesurface, con apoyo de @journalismfund y coordinación de @journalismarenahttps://t.co/rzYabR6Py3 pic.twitter.com/4BkGUxvZSX

— DATADISTA (@datadista) May 28, 2024

IMPACT

• The investigation was brought up at the session of the National Assembly in France on 16 May, 2024.
• The team was contacted by the Association of Public Water and Sanitation Operators in Spain (aeopas) to inform them that they have been following the investigation with great interest due to the challenges they face with the new water measurement regulations, for which they are the main responsible entity.