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Hydrological processes and Geological settings over Europe controlling dissolved geogenic and anthropogenic elements in groundwater of relevance to human health and the status of dependent ecosystems. (HOVER) |
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| The challenge is to gain understanding of the controls on groundwater quality across Europe using the combined expertise and data held by member states. The project will address groundwater management issues related to drinking water, human and ecosystem health across Europe in relation to both geogenic elements and anthropogenic pollutants by data sharing, technical and scientific exchange between European Geological Survey Organizations. We will link our knowledge of geological settings and understanding of hydrogeological processes to the natural variability of groundwater quality and to the risk of transfer of anthropogenic dissolved compounds to aquifers. For natural water quality this will include evaluating health risks and spatial variability of concentrations of geogenic elements and using a common approach to assessing thermal and mineral water. For diffuse pollutant behavior we will increase understanding of ecology and microbial diversity controls on transforming pollutants at groundwater-surface water transition zones, quantify groundwater age distributions and nitrate and pesticide travel times in the subsurface and their attenuation patterns for evaluating the efficiency of programme of measures, the design and assessment of monitoring programmes, pollution trends, and create EU-wide aquifer vulnerability maps by comparing assessment methods across Europe. New compounds will be addressed by developing a consistent approach to groundwater monitoring for organic emerging contaminants. Common standards, databases and maps will be developed and project outputs will include thematic maps and web service tools at pan-European scale and databases available through the Information Platform to increase political and public awareness and improve groundwater management. |
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 | Harmonized grouondwater at cross-border and pan-European scale (RESOURCE)
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| Although EU member states generally have a comprehensive overview of the groundwater resources in their own homeland and have delineated groundwater bodies for the EU Water Framework Directive, a coherent overview of all fresh groundwater over Europe is not available for policy development and evaluation. The RESOURCE project proposal aims at demonstrating the potentials of the harmonization of information about Europe’s groundwater resources through cross-border demonstrations projects, through harmonized characterization approaches for Karst and Chalk aquifers and through a first information product at Pan-European scale where available data is compiled and integrated to produce a map of the fresh groundwater resources of Europe. The set of deliverables of the RESOURCE project will provide good practices in providing harmonized data and information across borders for assessments of the 3D structure of aquifers, the water volumes available, and the water fluxes and water quality of the resource. Harmonization of such hydrogeological information is a prerequisite for any transboundary groundwater management. A range of regional and national stakeholders will be involved in the work in order to ensure both interaction with authorities that manage and protect groundwater resources and with end-users, thus maximizing dissemination of the results and providing them with easy-access tools through the cooperation with the GeoERA Information Platform Project, jointly prioritizing the information products that are most beneficial for society. The information products to be delivered will serve as a first prototype example of information to be accessible within a Geological Service for Europe. |