The aquifer maps graphically illustrate that our accelerating rate of drawdown is causing the aquifer to shrink at a dramatic rate. In the 60-year period from 1900 to 1960 the water used by Rolla and the four rural Public Water District Supply wells was estimated to be 8 billion gallons. From 1960 to 1992 we used another 24.5 billion gallons of water. In the last 32 years we used three times the amount of water as in the previous 60 years. We checked the 1996 Rolla Comprehensive Plan for updated information on the wells and water levels, but it said nothing about the sinking water levels or the shrinking size of the aquifer.
Aquifers are complicated.
Unlike big rivers, lakes or reservoirs that supply water to some cities, aquifers aren't easy to get to or easy to manage. The Ozark aquifer is composed of dense layers of sedimentary dolomite and sandstone. Some layers, and some areas in the layers of these layered rock formations, provide lots of gallons of water per minute, but another well just a few miles or a few feet away can produce very little water. Water production depends on how lucky you are when you pick a spot to drill. In the last few years we have had severe drought conditions, so it's logical to assume that the problem hasn't gotten better and may have gotten much worse.