What were the consequences of excessive pumping of water from the reservoirs?
The excessive pumping of water from the reservoirs led to a decrease in groundwater levels and a deterioration in groundwater quality in many areas. According to the classification of water quality depending on salinity developed by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, 79% of the groundwater became highly saline water, 18% became medium brackish water, while only 3% remained classified as fresh water.