Features of deterioration of groundwater in the Lubei plain, China and countermeasures of sustainable utilization

In 2005 the number of pumping wells increased to 287600 from 92900 in the 1970s, the amount of shallow unconfined groundwater exploitation increased nearly twice and the amount of deep confined groundwater exploitation increased 3.76 times in the Lubei plain. Because of a long time of overexploitation and irrational exploitation layout, the groundwater table kept lowering, the volume of aquifer draining increased progressively and the cones of groundwater depression expanded steadily; thus environmental geological problems such as land subsidence and salt invasion occurred. Under the circumstances, it is imperative to take such countermeasures as saving water for agricultural uses, adjusting the layout of exploitation intensity, enhancing balanced exploitation of unconfined groundwater, adjusting the combined regulation and storage of surface water and groundwater, making local poor-quality water useful and protecting the deep confined groundwater resources to restore and protect the deep confined groundwater system in overexploitation areas in the Lubei plain.