An operator knows the water table is falling if the _________

• A. drawdown remains the same but the static level drops
• B. drawdown increases while the static level rises
• C. drawdown decreases and the static level rises
• D. static level remains constant

Answer: (A)

Understanding the relation between drawdown and the static water level helps tell if the groundwater table is declining. Drawdown is how far the well level falls when pumping compared with the static (undisturbed) level. If the static level drops but the drawdown stays the same, the pumped water level also drops by the same amount. That means the overall groundwater surface—the water-table—is falling, not just shifting due to pumping. The other scenarios either involve the static level rising or remaining unchanged, which would not indicate a falling water table.