Rising temperatures are creating many environmental problems that impact daily life. The climbing water table could prove to be one of the most difficult to handle.

What's happening?

The issue is rearing its head along the United States' nearly 100,000 miles of coastline, including in Virginia and Florida, as well as the San Francisco Bay Area, KQED reported. The warming planet's rising seas and increasingly frequent and severe extreme rainfall are pushing groundwater closer to the surface, damaging infrastructure and threatening to spread toxic chemicals.

U.S. Reps. Kevin Mullin, a California Democrat, and Andrew Garbarino, a New York Republican, created the Groundwater Rise and Infrastructure Preparedness Act of 2025, which they introduced in June. It would earmark $5 million for the U.S. Geological Survey to map and study groundwater rise around the country through 2100, per the Bay Area media outlet.

"The agency would also need to identify priority areas that are at increased risk of flooding," KQED stated.

It added that the Pacific Ocean has risen about eight inches on the West Coast since the 1880s, noting it could climb by over one foot by 2050 and over six feet by 2100.

Why is this important?

"Drinking water systems are compromised, roadways are deteriorating and wastewater infrastructure is failing, leading to sewage spills and leaks polluting coastal waterways, posing danger to the public," Emma Haydocy, coasts and climate initiative senior manager with Surfrider Foundation, stated.

A top concern is that buried waste and other pollutants could wreak havoc on communities as they are pushed to the surface. In the Bay Area, there are over 5,000 sites contaminated by industrial waste at risk, KQED said.

In 2024, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, with other organizations, authored a report on East Palo Alto's flood risk due to rising groundwater, which could burst pipes, flood homes and buildings, and "mobilize contaminants from toxic sites," per KQED. Some of the underground toxins are radioactive, while others could vaporize and enter residential pipes.

Mullin and other area lawmakers want to gather data on groundwater rise so they can take better-informed action to protect the communities they represent. The U.S. House legislation would provide the basis for a study of roads and utilities, and scientists would have to evaluate public health risks, suggest mitigation strategies, and report to Congress in three years, according to KQED.

What's being done about the bill?

In July, Mullin and Garbarino held a news conference in San Mateo County, California, to drum up support for the bill.

Do you think your city has good air quality? Definitely 🥰 Somewhat 😮‍💨 Depends on the time of year 😷 Not at all 🤢 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Climate change is going to cause water levels to rise, but there's more to this challenge, and the truth is it's mostly hidden from plain sight until it's too late — there is groundwater under our feet," Mullin said, per KQED, which noted it could be difficult to pass the act under the Trump Administration.

"We may have a more friendly Congress in a couple of years, but we're going to keep moving this because we can't afford to wait," Mullin added.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.