Myriam Perret, Katrin Zumbrunnen

With this research topic, we would like to shed light on the link between water resources and urbanization, and to reveal some of the complexity of water management in Florida. Since the time when indoor plumbing became common, individuals, industries and utilities supplying water to the public have drilled wells into the underground water source – called aquifer – to pump fresh water to the earth’s surface for a variety of uses. Most people and industries use groundwater from the Floridian aquifer as their main water supply. Maintaining the balance of the aquifer system is a complex effort; for example, overpumping may lead to the salt-water intrusion into areas where fresh water used to be; further, changes in the landscape and land use, such as building and paved surfaces, tend to alter the quality and quantity of water that seeps into the aquifer, etc. One of the biggest concerns currently present in Florida is the sustainable management and protection of these water resources.