Groundwater levels vary in response to rainfall, amounts abstracted and aquifer characteristics.
Why is this an indicator? » What is the trend? » What is being done about it? » Would you like to know more?
Why is this an indicator?
Groundwaters provide about a third of potable water supplies. Many rural communities are dependent on this water resource and many rivers are groundwater-fed during dry periods. Groundwater levels vary in response to rainfall, amounts abstracted and aquifer characteristics. Long-term trends in groundwater levels could indicate an impact of climate change or changes in abstraction policy and licensing. .
What is the trend?
Most of the selected aquifers had below average water levels for substantial periods in 1992, 1996 and 1997 when winters were very dry. The majority of boreholes recharged to near maximum levels in 2000/2001 when rainfall was the heaviest it has been since 1970. The indicator shows that the greatest seasonal variability in the limestone and chalk aquifers whereas the sandstone aquifers display less. The sandstone aquifers in the Midlands and the North West have maintained high levels of groundwater and show a slow response to rainfall patterns.
What is being done about it?
It is important that a balance is maintained between the needs of the abstractor and the needs of the environment. The Agency manages this balance by issuing licences for water abstraction and by developing Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies (CAMS).
Would you like to know more?
The science and data behind this indicator:
