Moreau-Fournier, M.; Reeves, R.R.; Reshitnyk, L.; Daughney, C.J. 2010 Incorporation of New Zealand regional authority state of the environment groundwater quality data into the GNS Science Geothermal-Groundwater Database Lower Hutt, N.Z.: GNS Science. GNS Science report 2010/44 113 p.
Abstract: GNS Science operates and maintains the Geothermal-Groundwater (GGW) database, which is designed to store geothermal and groundwater related data such as site location details, surrounding land use, well construction, sampling and analytical results, methods and project details. The GGW database contains geothermal and groundwater data collected from throughout New Zealand for projects in which GNS Science has been/is involved. Recent projects conducted by GNS Science for the Ministry for the Environment have assessed groundwater quality at a national scale. These projects have involved compilation of State of the Environment (SOE) groundwater quality data provided to GNS Science by each of the 15 regional authorities. Terminology and conventions for groundwater quality data vary between the 15 regional authorities, which complicates compilation and interpretation of the SOE data at the national scale. This report documents the processes used to compile the SOE groundwater quality datasets in order to ensure consistency and allow for meaningful interpretation at the national scale. Consistency was achieved by migrating each regional authority’s SOE data into the GGW database, while maintaining the standard conventions used in the GGW database. Migration of the SOE data into the GGW database also took account of another groundwater quality dataset held in GGW, from the National Groundwater Monitoring Programme (NGMP). The NGMP dataset is complementary to the regional authority SOE datasets and has been recognised by FRST as a Nationally Significant Database. At the time of writing of this report, SOE data from the 15 regional authorities had been successfully uploaded into the GGW database. The SOE dataset within the GGW database consists of 1,071 features across New Zealand (e.g. wells, bores, springs, seeps, etc.), for 910 of them a total of 295,935 individual analytical results are available. The NGMP dataset, which is distinct from the SOE dataset but also resides within the GGW database, consists of 181 features and a total of 101,647 individual results. Access to the NGMP and SOE data in the GGW database is governed by Data Use Licences (DULs) signed between GNS Science and each regional authority, except for Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council, which has not signed a DUL but agreed in principle with the terms of operation. All DULs currently in place recognise the importance of national-scale assessment and reporting of groundwater quality, and so provisions are made for the use of NGMP and SOE data for these purposes. (auth/DG)
