Over the last four months, the Floridan aquifer in Savannah rose over to levels not seen in more than 70 years of record keeping. The reason? International Paper shut down and reduced its water withdrawal by 10 million gallons a day.
As The Current GA previously reported, this recovery began almost immediately after the plant’s closure. Aquifer levels continued trending upward since then with data from the United States Geological Survey showing the water level bounced more than 19 feet in one Savannah well and 23 feet in another. The USGS has been measuring these wells since the 1950s, when water levels were not as high as they are now.
Officials from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which regulates water usage and ultimately issues water withdrawal permits, briefed the Coastal Permitting Advisory Committee on the aquifer recovery and other issues at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on Friday, Feb. 27. The 19-member advisory committee includes local municipal water officials as well as the Ogeechee and Savannah Riverkeepers and representatives from forestry, agriculture and the state’s largest utility, Georgia Power.
IP holds one of the largest groundwater withdrawal permits on the coast, allowing it to withdraw up to 12.2 million gallons of water a day. For comparison, the Hyundai Metaplant in Ellabell, which has drawn sharp criticism for its water needs, is expected to use about 4 million gallons a day when it’s fully operational.
In the months since International Paper shut down production at its Savannah area mill, it has cut its water withdrawal from the Floridan aquifer by about 85% — more than 10 million gallons a day, said Wei Zeng, EPD water supply program manager.
The rebound is most dramatic where high pumping had created a “cone of depression” — a cone-shaped area in the limestone matrix of the aquifer where water pressure is lowered around a well or a group of wells.
“So when you pump a well, it’s not like if you put a pump in a lake or stream where the particles of water move readily,” explained Christine Voudy, EPD assistant state geologist. “So if you were to pump a lot of the lake out, you would just see water levels evenly decline, same as we see when there’s no rainfall, you see it evenly decline. That is not the case with what happens in groundwater.”
Instead, groundwater makes its way through the open spaces in the aquifer, pulled to the area of lowest pressure.
The aquifer’s rebound was largely in line with what EPD expected based on its computer model simulations and it’s not expected to rebound much more.
“The benefit from IP reducing usage is probably at its max, and it’s stabilizing at this point,” Voudy said.
While IP has shut down, the paper mill retains its permit for now, EPD officials said. The permit can be transferred only if the new permit holder also uses it to make paper at the site. Any new type of use would trigger the need for a new permit.
The advisory committee will make recommendations to the Coastal Georgia Regional Water Planning Council ahead of the planned re-issuance of groundwater withdrawal permits in late 2027. Friday’s meeting was the second of an expected 10 meetings.
Ultimately, the goal is protecting the aquifer, Voudy said.
“The Floridan aquifer is a prolific aquifer, one of the most prolific in the world,” she said. “So it’s a matter of making sure that it stays available and as prolific in the pumping that it can produce.”
The Tide brings regular notes and observations on news and events by The Current staff.
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