Sustainable Use of Groundwater. Problems and threats in the European Communities

Abstract

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In all the EC countries current practices lead to non-sustainable use of groundwater systems. The main problem areas are found in the agricultural and industrial core regions of the EC. The scale and complexity of the problems vary per region. The most serious problems are: - pollution from pesticides and nitrate - pollution from industrial and urban areas - overexploitation and intensified drainage leading to lowering of groundwater levels and salt-water intrusion - point pollution from illegal or improper dumping of municipal, industrial mining and hazardous waste. Nitrate leaching at a level of 50 mg/l (EC drinking-water standard) and more occurs in about 25% of the agricultural soils in the EC, particularly in the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, the southern part of the UK, the Po area and western France. In another 45% the computed levels are between 25% and 50 mg/l, which is above the EC target value of 25 mg/l. Computations indicate that concentrations in groundwater in 65% of the agricultural soils the EC drinking-water standard for the sum of pesticides (0.5 mug/l) will be exceeded. In approximately 25% of the area this standard will be exceeded by more than 10 times. If no remedial action or further precautions with respect to waste disposal are taken, the potential polluted area of the groundwater systems will be in the order of 20,000- 60,000 km2 within a period of 50 years, in other words 2 - 4% of the land surface of the Community. Overexploitation leads to a depletion of the resource, excessive decline of groundwater levels, intrusion of sea water and upconing of mineral-rich groundwater. But also, due to intensified land drainage and regulation of surface water levels, a systematic lowering of the groundwater levels is introduced. Both flora and fauna are being threatened and sensitive rare species are disappearing.