WGC – Groundwater Meeting Quantitative Status Guidance 22 April 2008 WGC-2 DG Meeting WGC – Groundwater Meeting Quantitative Status Guidance 22 April 2008

Document outline Definition of quantitative status Status comprises three elements: Overall measure of water balance (abstraction v available resource) Protection of receptors – surface water and GWDTE Identification of saline intrusion Development of a compliance testing framework Classification tests: Water Balance/Level (GWB scale) Surface Water Flow GWDTE Saline (and other) Intrusion Annex: examples/case studies

Comments Applying water balance test to large GWBs New paragraph to be added Abstraction of spring discharge (SW Test) Significant damage at a small GWDTE, relative to size of GWB, will lead to whole (large) GWB to be poor status No change to document

Case studies/Next steps NL CZ Additional case studies needed to illustrate the application of the guidance in meeting WFD objectives. Must comply with the template for case studies Next steps: Revised draft (early June) and case studies (end June) Integrate with other guidance documents (Autumn)

Comments/proposals Applying water balance test to large GWBs Proposal: Add paragraph “Where GWBs cover geographically large areas or comprise different aquifers then it may be appropriate to sub-divide the GWB into smaller representative parts to carry out this test. Each part should be relevant to the objectives for this test. Where GWBs are sub-divided the test should be applied separately to each individual part. The GWB overall status (for this test) will then be the least favourable of the individual component results, providing these results are significant.”

Comments/proposals Significant damage at a small GWDTE, relative to size of GWB, will lead to whole (large) GWB to be poor status. This is a similar problem to chemical status and reflects the scale at which GWBs have been defined. This test should only consider GWDTE that are relevant to the WFD objectives The WFD/GWDD is clear on objectives and this guidance can’t alter definitions/rules for GWB delineation and status.

Comments/proposals Abstraction of spring discharge Proposal: Add paragraph – “Interception of natural spring flow should not be considered as GW abstraction for this (GW-SW Flow) test. It should instead be considered within SW classification. However, where springs have been artificially modified to enhance/increase GW abstraction, e.g adits constructed, then the increased abstraction should be considered as part of this test.”