What defines a Significant Water Withdrawal Facility?

A Significant Water Withdrawal Facility is defined by its capacity to withdraw water, specifically focusing on the volume of water drawn from groundwater sources. The correct answer highlights that such a facility must have a capacity of over 100,000 gallons per day. This threshold is significant because it helps to identify and categorize facilities that have the potential to affect water resources on a larger scale, ensuring that they are subject to appropriate regulations and management practices.

This distinction is essential for sustainable water resource management, as larger withdrawals can have more considerable impacts on aquifers and surrounding ecosystems compared to smaller withdrawals. Understanding this classification helps water operators and managers to implement water conservation strategies, monitor water levels, and ensure compliance with environmental regulations effectively.

The other definitions do not align with the criteria used to define significant water withdrawal facilities. For example, a facility that withdraws less than 50,000 gallons per day does not meet the capacity threshold; a facility that primarily uses surface water may not be classified under the groundwater criteria necessary for this designation; and a site that only monitors groundwater levels does not involve actual water withdrawal, which is central to the definition of a significant facility.