Goulburn-Murray Water is highlighting the importance of sustainably managing groundwater as part of World Water Day on March 22.
This year’s theme is Groundwater – Making the Invisible Visible, which GMW Groundwater and Streams Manager Matt Pethybridge said couldn’t come at a better time.
“Groundwater is becoming increasingly precious with challenges emerging for the long-term security of all water supplies,” he said.
“Groundwater will play a critical role in adapting to a changing climate, so we need to work together to sustainably manage this valuable resource.”
Over the past five years, the use of groundwater allocated across the Water Supply Protection Areas in northern Victoria averaged 61 per cent, which increased to 74 per cent during the drier years.
“Groundwater levels across Victoria are captured using the state observation bore network (SOBN), but the community also has a role to play by collecting levels in their own bores,” Mr Pethybridge said.
He said the SOBN monitoring costs were shared between GMW and the State Government.
“Water level recordings started in the 1970s for some bores and many of these continue to be monitored today,” he said.
“We have a good regional snapshot and picture of the historical and current condition of the groundwater resource for our groundwater management areas.
“However, it is not possible or cost effective to have monitoring bores anywhere and everywhere.
“More location-specific levels are captured if needed through licensing impact assessments.”
Across its part of northern Victoria and covering about one-third of the state, GMW issues and administers groundwater licences and develops and implements management plans on behalf of the Water Minister.
Groundwater management plans place a limit on how much groundwater can be sustainably licensed for extraction and trading rules for movement of groundwater entitlement.
“GMW prepares annual reports for these areas, which contain information including how much groundwater was extracted, resource conditions, as well as any non-compliance that occurred during the year,” Mr Pethybridge said.
Licensed groundwater extraction is measured with a water meter at least annually to ensure licence holders are compliant with their licence conditions.
GMW updates its website with groundwater levels of interest to allow users and the public to easily access this information.
It also publishes annual newsletters for each water management area with general information about groundwater levels and how much water was used by people with licences to extract it.
For more information about how GMW manages groundwater, go to www.g-mwater.com.au/water-resources/ground-water/management