Groundwater in Europe Johnny Fredericia Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland

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1 Groundwater in Europe Johnny Fredericia Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland

2 Groundwater in Europe Introduction Water resources European water Abstraction and renewable resource Groundwater - surface water Climate impact Water Framework Directive Groundwater pollution

3 Water is the basis for life on Earth, but also for the human culture. Roman water supply system

4 Water supply in Denmark Opening of Osted water plant A secure and safe water supply is one of the modern society's pillars. How did we loose awareness?

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6 The Water Cycle Blokdiagram af vandkredsløb

7 Glaciers and permanent ice caps. cover 10% of the dryland ( ~70% of the fresh water) Groundwater represent more than 90% of easy enviable freshwater. About people depend on groundwater as a source for drinking water. The amount of extracted ground water is app. 20% of the total global consumption of water. WMO, 1997

8 and 2025 Availability, renewable resource on Earth is nearly constant in a stable climate The heterogeneous distribution of water and people create increasing problems for availability and amount of fresh water

9 Water exploitation index. Total water abstraction per year as percentage of long-term freshwater resources in 1990 and 2002

10 Water stress in Europe, 2000 and 2030, EEA

11 Population exposed to drought events in Europe Temperature deviation, compared to avg (oc), Europe 1,5 1,0 0,5 0,0-0,5-1,0-1, Annual Winter Summer

12 Climate models Winter precipitation (% change) ( ) ( ) Sommer precipitation (%change) ( ) ( ) Fra DMI

13 Water abstractions in Europe Groundwater/ surface water GW is increasingly preferred for public water supply because of generally higher quality EEA 2000 GW gives more stable supply Infiltration increases GW resources

14 Total abstraction/long term renewable resource abstraction renewable

15 Increasing groundwater level in Vestjylland (layer 5) B2 A2

16 General objectives, Water Framework Directive. To prevent any deterioration in existing status of surface water and groundwater To ensure that al bodies of surface and groundwater achieve at least good status To prevent any increase in direct or indirect pollution of surface water To reverse any significant and sustained upward trend in concentration of pollutants in groundwater To ensure a progressive reduction of pollution from priority hazardous substances in ALL water bodies Requires fulfillment of other water related directives :Nitrate, Drinking water, Pesticide, Habitat, (Marine)

17 Groundwater directive (WFD 17) 12.december 2006 Good status means the status achieved by a groundwater body when both its quantitative status and its chemical status are at least good. Good status shall be obtained in 2015! For NO-3 and pesticides specific concentration limits exist. Threshold values are to be defined for all pollutants of relevance for Water Bodies nationally or by water districts. If a GB exceeds a threshold value it does not have a good status. Member states have to act to reverse upward trends of contaminants in a GB, The point of action has to be defined (typ:75% of threshold value) and if the conc. makes surface water bodies at risk. It s complicated, ambitious, flexible ( or full of loop holes )

18 Nitrate-fertiliser, usage in kg/ha agricultural area in 1994 (Source: FAO, 1996) Nitrate in groundwater

19 Better sanitation for pigs required

20 Eutrophication: Harmful algal blooms (Cyanobacteria) in North European coastal waters, August 8, 2006 Photo from ferry: K. Hinsby Data from NASA (Aqua Modis) - Courtesy GRAS A/S University of Copenhagen / DHI Water and Environment

21 Pesticide consumption (kg/ha) in Europe

22 Denmark: Why so interested in pesticides in ground water? Fra IWA, 2002

23 Danger of Groundwater pollution by pesticides. Red: danger of pesticide pollution in GW reported by countries green: no danger of pesticide pollution in GW reported by countries Number of approved active pesticide ingredients? Number of pesticides monitored in groundwater Pesticides in groundwater

24 Salt water intrusion due to groundwater extraction

25 Some conclusions: Groundwater has to some extent been overlooked in the past, but it is now integrated in The Water Framework Directive and is becoming increasingly important. Groundwater is largest and most sensible resource and should be protected against: Old and emerging threads (virus, pesticides, hormones, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, pathogen bacteria's, natural toxins etc, etc, etc.) Overexploitation in a changing climate Groundwater protection and fulfillment of GWD requires extensive geological knowledge and research (not at least in forecasting). To obtain good status in 2015 may be impossible. The European problems and challenges are huge the global enormous.

26 Questions?