Groundwater quality monitoring 2010-11
Report: TR 2011/14
Author: J Hadfield
Abstract
The groundwater quality monitoring programme gathers information to provide a basis for effective management of this resource and is a council responsibility under the Resource Management Act. It provides a snapshot of groundwater quality in the Waikato region as well as showing spatial and temporal trends.
The monitoring data can be used to examine factors which influence the observed quality. Groundwater quality can also be compared with standards and guidelines to assess its suitability for various uses. In the long-term, the monitoring information enables an evaluation of the effectiveness of management of this resource. This dataset is increasingly valuable and it is important to continue gathering comprehensive and reliable data to enable informed management of our groundwater resources in the future.
The primary objective of this report is to document the groundwater quality monitoring undertaken in the period from autumn 2010 to the summer of 2010/2011. It includes annual monitoring of regional and community networks and quarterly sampling at a lesser number of sites focused on nitrate and pesticide occurrence.