Nowadays idea of recharging water wells is gaining momentum in our area. This helps to maintain groundwater level at a healthy point by pushing back the surface water. Rain water which is wasted on building terraces are filtered, de-silted and then recharged in wells. So water level never falls below a certain point even in acute drought conditions. According to experts water is going to be the most scarce commodity in future. Rise of new buildings, tarring of more and more roads and filling ground with bricks result in blocking water from penetrating in to earth. So finally the water level is going down and this is a perfect measure to bring water level up.
Water wells have been with us even before I was born. However, water well is not fee anymore unlike before when you can just dig the ground for your own well. In Metro Manila, there is now a law that you have to ask for a permit from the local Engineering department. The government is restricting the construction of water wells now because some scientists say that the low water level underground tends to make the ground sink. In other words, the underground water needs to be preserved so Metro Manila can maintain it's level vis-a-vis the sea level. But what's to be considered is the creation of cisterns to collect rainwater. That is a good way of conserving water.
In my place, people use water pumps to counter the falling water levels. I live in the tropics with wildly varying topography which means that in some areas, the water level is low while its high in others such that you just need to dig a few metres to create a small stream. I suppose the greatest problem with water scarcity is not availability but distribution which involves fuel and or piperage infrastructure and this would make water expensive.
