In the past, due to the lack of infrastructure and poor infrastructure, many areas were not connected to pipes, and wells were the main source of drinking water and water for people's daily life.
In addition to the communal wells, in some remote areas, almost every household has a well. What you may not know now is that it is illegal to exploit groundwater without permission, and if you are not careful, you may end up in jail!
Groundwater should not be excavated without permission
We know that natural resources such as mineral deposits and tidal flats belong to the state, and we cannot use them privately, even the sediment at the bottom of the river, otherwise we will violate the law, and we will be fined or imprisoned. But we may ignore groundwater, in fact, the extraction of groundwater, the state also has clear regulations.
According to Article 9 of Chapter 1 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, "mineral deposits, water streams, forests, mountains, grasslands, wastelands, tidal flats and other natural resources belong to the State, that is, to the whole people, except for forests, mountains, grasslands, wastelands and tidal flats that are collectively owned by law." The State guarantees the rational use of natural resources and protects precious animals and plants. It is forbidden for any organization or individual to use any means to encroach upon or destroy natural resources. ”
According to the Constitution's provisions on the ownership of natural resources, that is, groundwater is State property and cannot be exploited privately.
But in fact, it is easy to ignore this in life, especially in some areas where wells are used more frequently, because the water used for wells is so daily that everyone forgets about it, so many people pay the price for exploiting groundwater privately.
In 2019, the Nantong Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau released a case of taking water without permission. In 2017, Nantong Youlu Vegetable Co., Ltd. privately dug a 180-meter-deep well near its production workshop.
After receiving a report from the public in 2019, the Haimen Water Administration Supervision Brigade immediately went to verify and finally discovered the company's illegal behavior. After an investigation, the company was eventually fined and ordered to fill the well immediately and not be able to continue using the well.
Coincidentally, according to the news released by the Pingyi County Court in Shandong Province, in April 2023, Pingyi County also handled such a case. Zhang, a villager in a village in Pingyi County, began to dig wells at home to get water without permission in 2019, and also supplied the wells to a building materials company for production and operation.
After investigation and confirmation, the Pingyi County Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau made an "Administrative Penalty Decision" in May, and Zhang was fined 30,000 yuan and must dismantle the water supply equipment within 7 days.
The above two cases are not serious, and they are only fines, but in 2018, it was not so easy for a man in Tianjin to dig a well without permission.
Because he not only dug wells to extract geothermal water, but also sold it to the outside world for profit, he was eventually convicted of illegal mining, not only to three years in prison, but also to pay a fine of 300,000 yuan. It can be seen that the state is still relatively strict in controlling the illegal exploitation of groundwater, so if we have to exploit groundwater in our lives, how do we operate it legally?
According to the Water Law of the People's Republic of China, in order to exploit groundwater, the water intaker must apply for a water withdrawal permit, a mining license and a filing certificate issued by the relevant departments in accordance with the regulations, and also need to pay the corresponding resource use fees.
A water license is easy to understand, but why do you need a mining license to extract groundwater? This is because water resources are actually minerals, so you must also have a mining license to extract water resources.
But that doesn't mean that with a permit, you can dig a well for water at will. According to the Regulations on the Management of Groundwater, wells are not allowed to be dug in areas where groundwater exploitation is prohibited or restricted.
Only when the above conditions are met, the mining license is obtained, and the legal location is selected, the groundwater can be exploited, and it is illegal for ordinary people to dig wells at home without a permit.
Why does the state attach so much importance to vigorous control?
With so many laws and regulations in place and penalties not small, why should the state control the use of groundwater so strictly?
The regulations on groundwater exploitation issued by the state are all for the protection of water resources, as well as for the protection of people themselves.
On the one hand, groundwater resources are very precious. According to a 2022 release by People's Daily Online, the mainland's groundwater resources are stored in about 52.1 trillion cubic meters, of which 95% are located in wetlands and plains in the north, while only 5% in the south.
Groundwater is a very precious water resource, not only has a wide distribution, but also has good water quality, in terms of storage and water supply, there is a high guarantee, can be said to be the water resource security for people's survival.
In addition to the preciousness of the resources themselves, the mainland now has the problem of over-exploitation of groundwater.
Put simply, groundwater is being extracted in excess of the capacity allowed to be extracted. If you use too much water and exceed the safe range of water you can use, you are over-extracted.
We know that everything should be done in moderation and in moderation. If groundwater is overexploited, it will cause great harm to our environment, in addition to leading to basic problems such as the decline of groundwater levels, the dredging of aquifers, and the depletion of water sources, it is also likely to cause problems such as land subsidence and shrinkage of rivers and lakes.
Whatever it is, it will have a great impact on our lives, and in addition to the sustainability of development being threatened, there will also be great security risks.
There are several parts of the ground: phreatic aquifer, aquifer, confined water aquifer and bedrock layer, and if the aquifer is depleted, it is easy to cause the surface to collapse. If the well is still near the place of residence, it is likely to cause serious property damage and casualties, and lay a safety hazard for people's lives.
Therefore, our country is still very concerned about the protection of groundwater resources, in addition to formulating a considerable number of laws and regulations to strictly control the exploitation and utilization of groundwater, but also made a lot of efforts in groundwater replenishment and storage.
In recent years, the mainland's groundwater reserves have increased, also thanks to the country's groundwater replenishment and storage measures.
For example, North China, which is the most water-scarce region in the mainland, has not only greatly reduced the amount of groundwater over-exploitation, but also the shallow groundwater level in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei treatment area has risen by an average of 2.25 meters, and the water level of deep confined water has risen by an average of 6.72 meters, achieving very good results.
Throttling is well understood, which is to save water. And hydration is actually very easy to understand, which is an aspect of open source. Water replenishment is mainly to increase the transfer of water to promote the recovery of groundwater levels.
The "replenishment" here is mainly to implement the recharge of groundwater in rivers and lakes, by increasing the water volume of rivers and lakes in North China, and then recharging groundwater through rivers, so as to increase the groundwater level. Because water is circulating, the amount of water in the river and lake system is more, on the one hand, groundwater can be recharged through rivers, and on the other hand, the infiltration of surface water will also increase, and groundwater can also be recharged.
[References]
Constitution of the People's Republic of China
Regulations on the Management of Groundwater
"World Water Day Interpreting the Law with Cases" - Pingyi County Court
Nantong Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau's 2020 "Interpreting the Law with Cases" Case (3)--Nantong Water Conservancy Bureau
The man illegally exploited geothermal water and was sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined 300,000 yuan -- the Toray Court
Under the "five" pronged approach, the groundwater level in North China has rebounded -- Guangming Net
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