Groundwater

Groundwater is a major source of water for irrigation, community and industrial supply in the district. Measurement of groundwater levels provides useful data on the replenishment of the aquifers as well as its response to abstraction and drought.

Council's resource management plan also sets triggers for water rationing and cutbacks based on groundwater levels in many water management zones. Many of these triggers have been developed using hydrological modelling and are there to protect the underground aquifers from undue stress and risk of abstraction.

Groundwater Monitoring

The Council monitors groundwater levels in all the major aquifers in the district. The sites monitored provide regional coverage with the intensity of monitoring driven by the pressure on the groundwater resource in that particular area. 

Water levels are measured at each site every fifteen minutes and are logged in a datalogger. All levels shown are reported in relation to metres above mean seal level (amsl).

Council currently operates 43 automated groundwater level monitoring sites in the Tasman District. Data from 13 of these sites are available in real time via the telemetry network. Most of these sites are currently where real time data is required for water management purposes. 

Groundwater Levels

Map showing groundwater sampling sites.

Groundwater Quality

Groundwater quality is a measure of the chemical characteristics of a particular groundwater, in other words, its chemical signature. This chemical signature is a reflection of the groundwater’s journey into and through the ground and includes natural processes as well as influences from human activities.

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