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82 Part i california Water capacity is already abundant, but aquifers recharge and empty far more slowly than surface reservoirs, making them more suitable for long-term or dry-year storage. Withdrawal from aquifers typically requires pumping. In California, much recharge is a by-product of crop irrigation, although natural streams and precipitation also contribute. Increasingly, artificial recharge programs are employed. These programs spread surface water over dedicated recharge fields or inject it into wells. Conjunctive use programs, which manage surface water and aquifers jointly, make it possible to expand the system’s overall capacity, by storing more water in aquifers during wet years for use in dry years. Although such programs are expanding, the ability to fully exploit the system’s potential is limited by the lack of comprehensive aquifer management in many regions, cumbersome institutional rules regarding surface reservoir operations, and limited synthesis of technical information regarding the capacity and condition of groundwater basins (Chapter 6). As an illustration of this last point, DWR’s occasional bulletin on the state’s groundwater basins, Bulletin 118, has been issued only twice since 1980. These reports include little analysis or strategic overview of the condition of California’s aquifers, how they are employed, or how their management could improve. For instance, although DWR gathers data on over 400 aquifers in the state, these data are not maintained in a way that allows statewide or regional assessments of aquifer conditions, such as overdraft or contamination. Water Quality Concerns It is not enough to have “enough” water. Water must also be of adequate quality for each use, either in its natural state or with affordable treatment. Different qualities for different purposes Different uses often require different types of water quality. Urban water users require the highest water purity, and costs of treatment increase when the quality of water sources is lower. Drinking water quality standards are being tightened and treatment facilities upgraded as additional contaminants are identified and studied (Calder and Schmitt 2010). This trend is likely to continue and perhaps accelerate, as understanding of public health and water chemistry improves (Chapter 3). Agricultural water users face significant, but less constraining, water quality concerns, mostly involving excesses of salinity and minerals such as boron that reduce crop productivity and limit crop choices.