Two levels of management are attributed a quantitative metric value for the alluvial Najafabad aquifer, Isfahan Province (Iran). "Sustainable" groundwater originates from the aquifer area itself to meet water demands in the region; however, groundwater originating from both the local aquifer area and adjacent aquifer(s) meets water demand under "normal" management practice. Mean annual levels of management (LOM) for normal and sustainable situations are valued as -0.08 and -0.19, respectively, during the observation period (1993-2016) and documented by depleting groundwater storage (by 58.03 million m(3)) and declining water tables (by 1.25 m). Sustainable management occurs for 2 years only. LOM values are negative in scenarios with improved water-use efficiency, resulting in long-term water-table drop; however, reductions of groundwater abstraction and cultivated area without improving water-use efficiency can increase the LOM and raise groundwater level in Najafabad aquifer. The LOM range for normal management is 0.03-0.043 in these scenarios (0.014-0.045 for sustainable practices), resulting in water-table rise of 0.36-0.59 m/year. Sustainable management occurs during 50-70% of the scenario period. LOM values in Najafabad aquifer reveal four classes: mismanagement, pseudo-sustainable, pseudo-unsustainable and sustainable. Mismanagement yields negative LOM values for normal and sustainable management and falling water tables, while sustainable management yields positive values and rising water tables. Pseudo-sustainability is evidenced by rising water tables but negative sustainable LOM values due to the volume of groundwater overexploitation being less than the net groundwater inflow. Pseudo-unsustainability shows a water-table drop and a positive sustainable LOM due to the net groundwater outflow.