To help customers and the community to understand how groundwater works, Goulburn-Murray Water has released a podcast that explains what groundwater is, the licensing process and how groundwater is managed in northern Victoria.
G-MW groundwater and streams manager Matthew Pethybridge said in the next few years groundwater usage was likely to increase significantly.
“The high rainfall in recent years has meant people have not needed to use their full groundwater allocations,” he said.
“However, in our changing climate, groundwater is playing an increasingly crucial role in ensuring the long-term security of many water users.
“Groundwater supplies about 15 per cent of Victoria’s needs, and there are approximately 50 towns in the state that are reliant on groundwater for their drinking water, but these figures are likely to increase.
“At G-MW, we are the agency responsible for issuing and administering groundwater licences and implementing groundwater management plans in our region.
“It is our priority to ensure the resource is managed effectively and sustainably, so we can ensure we maximise its benefits to communities and the environment and recognise its cultural value.”
Despite its importance, to many, groundwater remains an unknown quantity, often being referred to as ‘invisible water’.
Groundwater is stored in aquifers underground. These aquifers are generally made up of gravel, sand, or fractured rock, in which water accumulates.
Water from aquifers can be brought to the surface naturally by a spring, can be discharged into lakes or streams, or can be extracted through bores that are drilled into the aquifers.
Mr Pethybridge said within the water industry there had been significant advancement in the understanding of groundwater and its potential in recent years.
“Groundwater can be found almost anywhere,” he said.
“But we now have the tools to help us understand how deep we might need to bore to find it, water quality, and what effect extracting it may have on the environment.
“The quality of the water is a particularly significant variable. Groundwater can range from fresh drinking water to saltier than seawater.
“But through methods such as investigative bore drilling, review of groundwater maps, test pumping, and hydrogeological understanding of geological formations, we are better informed about where the best areas to find useable groundwater are.”
G-MW has partnered with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Victoria’s other rural water corporations to deliver Groundwater Management 2030.
GM 2030 is Victoria’s statement of priorities for the sustainable use of groundwater that supports existing and new uses, protects ecosystems and supports living cultural landscapes.
It recognises that partnerships with Traditional Owners as well as meaningful engagement with water users and communities will be integral to strong and sustainable groundwater management that can adjust to meet opportunities and challenges well into the future.
G-MW has a range of information on groundwater on its website, and frequently updates its website with groundwater levels to allow users and the public to easily access this information and see the health of the aquifers in their area. Go to: https://www.g-mwater.com.au/water-operations/water-information/ground-water
Listen to the groundwater episode of the Talking Water with G-MW podcast at: https://www.g-mwater.com.au/news-updates/podcast-talking-water-with-gmw or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
6°C