Atlantic County, NJ Water Table Trend
Atlantic County, NJ: what the water table is actually doing
Over 119 years of USGS readings, the well tracking Atlantic County's aquifer is declining faster than most declining counties: 4.8 ft per decade.
One well stands in for Atlantic County's whole aquifer here, the honest simplification every page on this site carries.
What the well actually measured
The most recent reading put water 85.3 ft below land surface. Readings span 1904-12-30 to 2023-11-17, 477 measurements from USGS well USGS-392153074250101 (010037-- Galen Hall Obs), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Atlantic County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Atlantic County ranks 1298th from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 279,114 people live in Atlantic County, New Jersey. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Atlantic County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Atlantic County's water table is actually declining, not just a general worry, a well owner here should consider comparing home-warranty plans that cover well-pump failure before one happens.
A dropping table says nothing about water quality
Whether Atlantic County's water table is rising or falling is independent of what's actually in the water. Depletion can concentrate naturally-occurring minerals, so it's worth checking directly with a water test rather than assuming a depth trend says anything about quality.