1. STATE OF NATIONAL GROUNDWATER MONITORING IN ITALY
WG2C Workshop on “Groundwater monitoring” Brussels, 25th June 2004
STATE OF NATIONAL GROUNDWATER MONITORING IN ITALY
Martina Bussettini, Claudio Fabiani
APAT
AGENZIA PER LA PROTEZIONE DELL’AMBIENTE E PER I SERVIZI TECNICI

2. Agency for Environmental Protection and Technical Services
NATIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC AND MAREOGRAPHIC SERVICE
Agency for Environmental Protection and Technical Services
former NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
APAT
NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL SERVICE
CTN – AIM
NATIONAL TOPIC CENTRE ON WATERS
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL INSTITUTES
(IRSA, ISE)
WATER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
ISS
ITALIAN NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF HEALTH
ICRAM
UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS

3. TOOLS AND BEST PRACTICES
PRISMAS Guidelines for Groundwater Regional Network design
(Hydro-geological, Hydro-chemical, Statistical criteria)
Umbria, Piemonte, Liguria and Basilicata Regions
INCLUDED IN CIS-WFD MONITORING GUIDANCE AS NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE
ANALITIC METHODS FOR WATERS QUALITY CNR – IRSA, ISS
Guidelines for Groundwater National Network design CNR – IRSA
GUIDELINES FOR the ASSESSMENT AND CARTOGRAPHY of AQUIFERS VUNERABILITY TO POLLUTION CNR – GNDC

4. HYDROLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ITALY
ANNUAL AVERAGE RAINFALL
Min= mm/year
Avg= mm/year
Max= mm/year
AVERAGE PRECIPITATION ~30010 9 m3/year
EXPLOITABLE SURFACE WATER ~ 42109 m3/year
AVAILABLE GROUNDWATERS ~ 12109 m3/year

5. HYDROGEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION
QUATERNARY PLAIN DEPOSIT (Po plain)
ALLUVIAL PLAIN AQUIFERS
VOLCANIC STRUCTURES
DETRITAL UNITS
CARBONATIC AQUIFERS
(Central and southern Italy)

6. BIODEGRADABLE ORGANIC NOT BIODEGRADABLE ORGANIC
PRESSURES ON GW
QUANTITATIVE PRESSURES
DRASTIC REDUCTION OF BASE FLOW IN SURFACE WATER BODIES (CARBONATES, VOLCANIC)
SALINIZATION IN COASTAL AQUIFERS
SUBSIDENCE
QUALITATIVE PRESSURES
DIFFUSE POLLUTION BY NITRATES IN PO PLANE
INTENSE POINT POLLUTION IN URBAN AREAS
BIODEGRADABLE ORGANIC 5%
NOT BIODEGRADABLE ORGANIC
23%
MICROBIOLOGICAL
33%
Nature of groundwater pollution
G.Giuliano-1999
INORGANIC
39%

7. LEGISLATIVE DECREE 152/99 ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES MONITORING ACTIVITY
GOOD STATUS OF WATER RESOURCES TO BE OBTAINED IN 2016
PRESERVATION OF HIGH STATUS
WB PRESERVE ITS SELF-PURIFYING AND REGENERATIVE PROPERTIES
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES
(RIVER BASIN AUTHORITIES)
MONITORING ACTIVITY
(REGIONAL/ PROVINCIAL
ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCIES)
SIGNIFICANT WATER BODIES
SPECIFIC DESTINATION WATER BODIES
(Fish, Shellfish, Drinking water, Bathing water)
WATER PROTECTION PLAN
PROGRAMME OF MEASURES
(REGIONS)

8. GW CLASSIFICATION : QUANTITY
CHARACTERIZATION : RIVER BASIN HYDROLOGY, GW BODY TYPE (UNCONFINED,CONFINED,SEMI-CONFINED); VULNERABLE WB; MONITORING SITES
Parameters
Volume (m3)
Discharge
Spring capacity
Abstraction from well (sectorial uses)
Class A
Nul or negligible anthropic impacts on long-term recharge balance (equilibrium conditions, trends)
Class B
Reduced recharge unbalance but no over-exploitation
Class C
Relevant unbalance with effect on availability
Class D
Nul or negegligible anthropic impacts but naturally low production potential

9. GW Classification: GW chemical status (SCAS)QE
Class 1
Class 2
Class 3
Class 4
Class 0
Conductivity (mS/cm at 20oC)
 400
 2500
> 2500
>2500
Chloride (mg/L)
 25
 250
> 250
Mn (mg/L)
 20
 50
> 50
>50
Fe (mg/L)
< 50
< 200
 200
> 200
>200
Nitrate (mg/L) as NO3
 5
Sulphate (mg/L) as SO4
>250
Ammonium ion (mg/L) as NH4
 0.05
 0.5
 1.5
> 0.5
Natural micropolutants > EQS
Class 0
Synthetic micropollutants > EQS
Class 4

10. GW ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS
QUANTITY:CLASS A B C D
QUALITY:CLASS 1 2 3 4
GW ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS
High
Good
Fair
Poor
Particular
1 - A
1 – B
3 – A
1 – C
0 – A
2 – A
3 - B
2 – C
0 – B
2 – B
3 – C
0 – C
4 – C
0 – D
4 – A
1 – D
4 – B
2 – D
3 – D
4 - D

11. GW MONITORING PROCESS GWB CHARACTERISATION MONITORING – STEP 1
acquisition of available information
pressures analysis to define gwb at risk
GWB CHARACTERISATION
INDIVIDUATION OF GW POINTS OF MEASUREMENT
DB of WATER POINTS (SPRINGS, BOREHOLES, WELLS)
HYDROGEOLOGIC MODEL OF GWB
gw general classification
(chemical status, vulnerability)
MONITORING – STEP 1
IMPLEMENTATION OF GW MONITORING NETWORK
MONITORING – STEP 2
gw environmental status classification
chemical + quantitative status = environmental status
OPTIMISATION OF GW MONITORING NETWORK

12. REPORTING DM 19/08/03: WATER BODIES QUALITY STATUS AND CLASSIFICATION INFORMATION REPORTING STANDARDS
CHARACTERIZATION OF RIVER BASINS AND ANTHROPIC IMPACT ANALYSIS
CHARACTERIZATION,CLASSIFICATION AND LOCATION OF WATER BODIES (SURFACE WB, GWB, LAKES, ARTIFICIAL WB, COASTAL WB, TRANSITION WB)
IDENTIFICATION OF REFERENCE WATER BODIES
MONITORING NETWORKS
CHARACTERIZATION AND LOCATION OF AREAS OF PROTECTION FOR SURFACE WATERS AND GROUNDWATER BODIES FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
INDIVIDUATION OF AREAS VULNERABLE TO PESTICIDES
INFORMATION WITHIN 30th JUNE 2004

13. NATIONAL GW QUALITATIVE STATUS ASSESSMENT IN 2002
RESULTS OF GW QUALITY MONITORING (STEP 1):
NITRATES CRITICAL CONCENTRATIONS
DANGEROUS INORGANIC SUBSTANCES
(HG, PB, PESTICIDES)
NATURAL PRESENCE OF As, MN,Fe,NH3
NECESSITY OF A NATIONAL LEVEL MONITORING TO CONTROL THESE PHENOMENA

14. MONITORING NETWORKS: DIFFERENT SCALES
level
objective
duration
state
NATIONAL
National strategic gw resources quali-quantitative status assessment: focus on point and linear springs
Control the peformance of the programme of measures in wb enhancement
Study of gw systems reactivity to new generation pollutants
Permanent
operational in 2006 (wfd)
REGIONAL
Qualiquantitative monitoring
Gwb modeling
Operational
(first phase monitoring)
LOCAL (Thematic)
Specific phenomena monitoring
Alarm
Limited
Operational when needed

15. STATE OF GW MONITORING 1990 2004 OPERATIONAL PARTLY OPERATIONAL DESIGN
ABSENT
QUALIQUANTITATIVE
QUALITATIVE
QUANITITATIVE
SPECIFIC DESTINATION NETWORK

16. WHO IS IN CHARGE OF.. GW QUANTITATIVE MONITORING
GW QUALITATIVE MONITORING
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES
PROVINCIAL TECHNICAL SERVICES
REGIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES
NATIONAL HEALTH MINISTRY
(DRINKABLE WATER QUALITY)
PROVINCES HEALTH DEPARTMENTS
REGIONAL GEOLOGICAL SERVICES
WATER SUPPLY AGENCIES

17. REGIONAL MONITORING NETWORKS
(Data received until 10th may 04)

18. NMN IMPLEMENTATION VALLEYS AND PLAINS AQUIFERS MOUNTAIN AQUIFERS
GW MONITORING NETWORKS HIGHLY DEVELOPED
EXPERIMENTED METHODOLOGIES
DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF MAIN PROBLEMS
MONITORING POINTS SUBSET TO IMPLEMENT NATIONAL NETWORK
MOUNTAIN AQUIFERS
MOST IMPORTANT EXCELLENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES; BASE FLOW FOR SURFACE WATER BODIES
BASIC MONITORING STILL AT START
LINEAR AND POINT SPRINGS MUST BE CONTROLLED BY THE NATIONAL NETWORK.
TEVERE PRB EXERCISE STRESSES THE INFLUENCE OF DROP IN GW ON SURFACE WATERS.

19. MAIN ISSUES OF NATIONAL INTEREST
QUALITATIVE
Agricoltural and Zootechnical source nitrates
Natural toxic micropollutants
New generation pollutants
QUANTITATIVE
Strategic gw resources protection (carbonates)
Urban Piezometric levels modification
Gw Over- exploitation
Volcanic aquifers: strong decrease of the base flow in surface waterbodies
Saline intrusion

20. CONCLUSIONS GW AS MAIN DRINKING WATER RESOURCE
PROTECTION OF QUANTITATIVE STATUS: INDIVIDUATION OF QUANTITATIVE REFERENCE CONDITION (as in the Tevere PRB experience)
IMPROVEMENT OF CONTROL/INSPECTION PROCEDURES TO ASSESS REAL ABSTRACTION/USES OF GW
MONITORING AS INSTRUMENT TO INCREASE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GW SYSTEMS AND TO CONTROL THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GWB PROTECTION MEASURES