Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Groundwater Pollution Vulnerability in Shallow Coastal
Drinking water has become unreliable, and sometimes unsafe, along California’s coast. Population growth has put pressure on water supplies, but sea-level rise is an issue, too. In coastal aquifers, fresh groundwater essentially floats atop a layer of seawater. So as the ocean rises, the groundwater table rises too. This can damage infrastructure and ecosystems and impact human health.