The state of Jersey groundwater 2001

BGS continued to provide advice to PSD on the Jersey groundwater monitoring and management programme as required. The very wet conditions at the beginning of 2001 were reflected in rising groundwater levels throughout the Island. Summer recession was halted in October when autumn recharge influenced a general rise in groundwater levels. Groundwater quality continues much as before with near stable inorganic chemistry and the persistence of the organic metabolite chlorthal in many groundwater samples. Nitrate concentrations may now have peaked in many areas, although severely contaminated groundwaters near pollution sources have yet to start to improve significantly. The EU Water Framework Directive will need to be attended to with regard to groundwater status definition. Water quality objectives are shortly to be set as part of the Water Pollution (Jersey) Law 2000, and resource requirements will be provided in the proposed Water Resources (Jersey) Law. Proposals to develop a GIS data handling system and to investigate the age of shallow groundwaters are appended