Groundwater Resource Directed Measures (2012 Edition)
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TT 506/12 Groundwater Resource Directed Measures TT Directed Resource 506/12 Groundwater TT 506/12 GROUNDWATER RESOURCE DIRECTED MEASURES (2012 EDITION) Report to the Water Research Commission by Ingrid Dennis, Kai Witthüsser, Koos Vivier, Rainer Dennis & Andrew Mavurayi WRC Report No TT 506/12 March 2013 Obtainable from Water Research Commission Private Bag X03 Gezina, 0031 [email protected] or download from www.wrc.org.za The publication of this report emanates from a project titled Groundwater Resource Directed Measures (WRC Project No. K8/891). DISCLAIMER This report has been reviewed by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the WRC, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. © WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION Table of Contents Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................................i List of Figures .......................................................................................................................................................... iii List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................... vi Units of Measurement .......................................................................................................................................... viii Definitions ............................................................................................................................................................... ix 1 Why is a manual necessary? ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Layout of Manual ......................................................................................................... 2 2 What does the National Water Act say? .................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Preamble ...................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Gazetted approach to GRDM ...................................................................................... 3 2.2.1 Procedure for determining different classes of water resources ........................ 4 2.2.2 Procedure for determining the Reserve .............................................................. 5 2.2.3 Procedure for determining Resource Quality Objectives .................................... 5 2.3 What is our responsibility according to Chapter 3 of the NWA? ................................ 5 2.4 References ................................................................................................................... 8 3. Data Requirements and Interpretation ..................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Data .............................................................................................................................. 9 3.2 Uncertainty associated with groundwater parameters and methods of analysis .... 10 3.3 Sparse data and uncertainty ...................................................................................... 13 3.4 The effect of scale ...................................................................................................... 13 3.5 The role of assumptions ............................................................................................ 16 3.6 Information required for GRDM process .................................................................. 16 3.7 References ................................................................................................................. 18 4. Initiate GRDM Study ................................................................................................................................ 19 4.1 Initiation ..................................................................................................................... 19 4.2 Approach ................................................................................................................... 19 4.2.1 Set up study ........................................................................................................ 19 4.2.2 Define the groundwater resource ...................................................................... 19 4.2.3 Levels of assessment .......................................................................................... 20 4.3 References ................................................................................................................. 22 5. Groundwater Resource Directed Measures: Classification ..................................................................... 23 5.1 Preamble .................................................................................................................... 23 5.2 Classification process ................................................................................................. 24 5.3 References ................................................................................................................. 30 6 Groundwater Resource Directed Measures: The Reserve ....................................................................... 31 6.1 Preamble .................................................................................................................... 31 6.2 Reserve determination process ................................................................................. 31 7 Groundwater Resource Directed Measures: Resource Quality Objectives ............................................. 36 7.1 Preamble .................................................................................................................... 36 7.2 Resource Quality Objective process .......................................................................... 36 7.2.1 Defining RQOs for Rivers .................................................................................... 38 7.2.2 Defining RQOs for Wetlands and Estuaries ........................................................ 38 7.2.3 Defining RQOs for Springs .................................................................................. 39 7.2.4 Defining RQOs for BHNs, Strategic use and International obligations .............. 40 7.3 References ................................................................................................................. 42 8 Tools to assist an assessment .................................................................................................................. 43 8.1 Linkages to surface water (USGS, 1998) .................................................................... 43 i 8.1.1 Is there a link? .................................................................................................... 43 8.1.2 How to calculate the groundwater – surface water interaction ....................... 48 8.2 Terrestrial vegetation ................................................................................................ 54 8.3 Recharge .................................................................................................................... 54 8.3.1 Maps ................................................................................................................... 55 8.3.2 Chloride mass balance method .......................................................................... 55 8.3.3 EARTH model ...................................................................................................... 55 8.3.4 Cumulative rainfall departure method .............................................................. 56 8.3.5 Saturated volume fluctuation method............................................................... 56 8.3.6 Isotopes .............................................................................................................. 57 8.4 Inflows and outflows ................................................................................................. 57 8.5 Aquifer vulnerability .................................................................................................. 58 8.6 Methods to assist with setting RQOs ........................................................................ 60 8.6.1 Predicting drawdown as a result of abstraction ................................................ 60 8.6.2 Estimating allowable rates of abstraction .......................................................... 61 8.6.3 Borehole protection zones from on-site sanitation ........................................... 63 8.7 How to deal with scale .............................................................................................. 63 8.7.1 Assured yield ...................................................................................................... 64 8.7.2 Aquifer Parameters ............................................................................................ 64 8.7.3 Recharge ............................................................................................................. 64 8.8 References ................................................................................................................