ABSTRACTAquifers are basically water storage reservoirs and need to be used as such to optimally integrate them into the water resource system. They have five special properties that dictate how they should be used to store water. These are size, their response time, the quality of water they hold, the ecological impacts of using them, and the type of investment needed to develop them. To be most effective, all of the available storage of an aquifer should be utilized and the quality of the ground water maintained, but neither of these requirements are totally met and in many areas are dangerously ignored. In order to realize the full potential of the aquifer benefits, regional cooperation or control is necessary.
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