Lithuania's Vast Groundwater Reserves: Potential and Challenges

Lithuania possesses substantial fresh groundwater resources, valued at approximately 9 billion euros, representing 15.7% of the nation's total wealth. Despite having around 40,000 active water extraction wells and a daily extraction of 0.35–0.4 million cubic meters, the safe and environmentally sound extraction limit is nearly ten times higher, at 3.72 million cubic meters daily. This highlights a significant untapped potential for managing this natural resource.

Historically, industry consumed 60% of water before 1995, with residents using 40%. This proportion has reversed, with industry now accounting for 40% of consumption and residents using the larger share. This shift indicates potential for industrial expansion or even the export of drinking water, which could economically benefit residents through increased demand driving down prices.

However, challenges persist. While funds are allocated for searching for new water sources, they are deemed insufficient by some specialists. There is a lack of a national program for continuous exploration across Lithuania, raising questions about public policy and long-term investment, especially in preparation for climate change and emergencies.

Past attempts to export fresh water from the Baltic region, utilizing ports like Liepāja, have been hampered by the high cost of transporting water via tankers to drought-stricken countries. This model is currently not considered economically attractive. A greater potential might lie in exporting mineral water, though this falls under private business. Deeper groundwater, with mineralization reaching hundreds of grams per liter at depths over one kilometer, could be used for balneology, salt extraction, and other purposes, potentially generating additional revenue. The article also notes that groundwater temperature increases with depth, reaching 70–80°C at 2–2.5 km.