Integration of groundwater information into decision making for regional planning: A portrait for North America

Groundwater is widely used as a source of drinking water in North America. However, it can be contaminated by microbial or chemical agents potentially hazardous to human health. In recent decades, governments have developed better knowledge of groundwater and established measures to protect and preserve the resource. Several studies have shown that relevant information on groundwater might prove very useful for regional planning purposes. However, there is little information on how groundwater information contributes to decision making in urban and regional planning in Canada and the United States. The objective of this study is to explore the level of use of groundwater information for land use planning purposes in Canada and the United States and to identify the factors that may explain why some provinces or states are more proactive than others when it comes to using such data for groundwater protection purposes. This paper presents the results of a survey sent across North America to groundwater information producers. The resulting data from the survey were examined using descriptive analyses and multiple correspondence analysis, and illustrate how groundwater data can be integrated into land planning.

► A portrait of the use of groundwater information in land use planning is provided.
► The interest for groundwater in planning varies strongly between States & Provinces.
► When groundwater data is centralized, the accessibility to land planners is increased.
► Mandatory source water protection favours the integration of groundwater in planning.
► There is a gap between groundwater information production and regional planning.