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5.1 Introduction
Groundwater is the water below the Earth’s surface in the fractures of rock formations and in soil pore spaces. Groundwater aquifers are embedded in geological layers and the groundwater body is a distinct volume of groundwater within an aquifer(s).
Groundwater bodies are characterized by their geology and their productivity. More than half are porous aquifers, followed by fissured aquifers and are generally highly to moderately productive. Fractured aquifers including karst and local and limited aquifers are less common. Groundwater provides the steady, base flow of rivers and wetlands.
In overall of European water balance, groundwater aquifers receive around 11 % of total precipitation as deep percolation, but provides around 42 % of total water abstraction in Europe mainly for public water supply and agricultural activities. In Europe, about 50 % of drinking water is taken from groundwater (EEA, 2016). Many large cities are depending on water supply from groundwater resources.
The WFD requires good quantitative status to be achieved by ensuring available groundwater resource is not exceeded by the long-term annual average rate of abstraction. Accordingly, the groundwater level may not be subject to
- any diminution in ecological status of surface water linked with groundwater
- significant damage to groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems, nor
- any flow reversals that lead to saline or other intrusions do not impact groundwater quantitative status.
Groundwater bodies are classified in good, poor and unknown quantitative status. Change in status by area per country between the first and second RBMPs has been used to analyse the improvements in groundwater quantitative status. For groundwater bodies failing to achieve good quantitative status the reasons for failure, significant pressures and impacts are described.
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Further and detailed information on improvements in groundwater quantitative status assessment is available in WISE · Monitoring of groundwater quantitative status – number of monitoring sites (missing) · Change in proportion unknowns: unknown quantitative status Table (EU & MS); · Confidence in GW quantitative status assessment Table and Graph* |
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"Groundwater is the water below the Earth’s surface in the fractures of rock formations and in soil pore spaces. Groundwater aquifers are embedded in geological layers and the groundwater body is a distinct volume of groundwater within an aquifer(s).
Groundwater bodies are characterized by their geology and their productivity. More than half are porous aquifers, followed by fissured aquifers and are generally highly to moderately productive. Fractured aquifers including karst and local and limited aquifers are less common. Groundwater provides the steady, base flow of rivers and wetlands"
These two passages of the introduction are not essential. You may shorten these passages.
BE-FLA (WV): p.50 5.1 Introduction
It is a bit strange to give an introduction about what groundwater, groundwater aquifers and groundwater bodies are, when there is already a previous chapter about “groundwater chemical status and pressure”
(AT) If you insert the definition of GW then please only use and refer to the definition in the WFD Art 2.2:
Groundwater. means all water which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil.
CZ: “Groundwater is the water below the Earth’s surface in the fractures of rock formations and in soil pore spaces.”
The highest volumes of groundwater are stored on porous aquifers. Please consider revising the sentence e.g.: Groundwater is the water below the Earth’s surface in the pores and fractures of rock formations and in soil pore spaces.