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