ZANCO Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences The official scientific journal of Salahaddin University-Erbil https://zancojournals.su.edu.krd/index.php/JPAS RESEARCH PAPER Sustainability of Aquifer and Ground Water Condition in Erbil Basin/ Iraq Dana Khider Mawlood Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. A B S T R A C T: Groundwater is the main source of water in Erbil province, Iraq. The change in climate and the rapid development in the city, generally, increases the rate of GW depletion. The study aims to investigate the effects of the current exploitation of groundwater on the sustainability of the aquifer. Data like climate, soil, number of wells, and the hydrogeology of Erbil aquifer are compiled to recognize the current and future conditions of the aquifer. The results show that there is an irresponsible use of GW. The water table has been found to decrease around 1.24 meters annually. This comes due to excessive use, lack of awareness and absence of clear and strict policy towards GW sustainability in the region. The challenges facing the Department of Groundwater Resources, which is responsible for managing and developing GW sources are indicated. A set of recommendations are then presented for improving the GW management and sustainability. KEY WORDS: Aquifer; Groundwater; Sustainability; Specific Yield; Water Recharge; Erbil basin. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21271/ZJPAS.31.6.6 ZJPAS (2019) , 31(6);51-60 INTRODUCTION: The availability of groundwater is a major reason for its use as a vital source of water supply worldwide. Groundwater provided a low-cost water source available with a good considerable quality that requires less treatment. It is one of the most valuable renewable resources. Groundwater (GW) is being used for drinking water supply increasingly around the world (Zhou, 2009). The fresh water represents only 3% of all of Earth’s water and 68.7% of the fresh water is stored in glaciers and icecaps while GW represents only 30.1%. surface water is 0.3%, and 0.9% is in other minor storage (Council, 2001). The continuous discharge of industrial wastewater, pesticides and the use of domestic sewage as fertilizers, waste dump and overexploitation of resource have an extremely negative impact on groundwater sustainability (Harter, 2003). Groundwater sustainability is the development and use of groundwater in a manner that can be maintained for an infinite time without causing unacceptable environmental, economic, or social consequences (Alley et al., 1999). Depletion of the small part of the total volume of GW in storage can have a huge effect on surface water, water quality, or subsidence which can be a factor that limits development. Although groundwater is mentioned as a renewable resource, it does not recycle rapidly. The recycling process of GW depends on the aquifer’s characteristics like type, depth, connectivity, and location. Generally, the shallow GW renewal rate is around 15% less than the deep GW (Jones, 2014). The demand for freshwater increase day by day, majorly for irrigation purposes, and that rise in demand and the decreasing availability of water burden GW reservoirs and this ultimately deplete the GW quantity and quality. Overutilization, contamination and presumption contamination considered as the key factors for GW depletion. There are many examples of GW depletion, but the classic case is that the water levels in Borrego Valley, southern California, San Diego country * Corresponding Author: Dana Khider Mawlood E-mail: dana.mawlood@su.edu.krd Article History: Received:03/07/2019 Accepted: 04/09/2019 Published: 05/12/2019