This document discusses the importance of groundwater regime monitoring for groundwater management. It defines groundwater regime monitoring as collecting water level measurements from observation wells at regular time intervals to provide quantitative and qualitative information about groundwater. The key points are: 1) Groundwater monitoring is required to understand changes in groundwater quantity and quality over time due to slow hydrologic processes, and to design effective groundwater management programs. 2) A monitoring network is established with representative wells measured for water levels and quality quarterly. 3) Water level and quality data are analyzed statistically and spatially to identify trends and relationships helping groundwater management. 4) Challenges include data loss, high costs, and difficulty

1. SBL GSS Division
Groundwater Regime Monitoring and its
Significance in Groundwater Management
By
Venugopalan Nair

2. 2
Outline
1. Outline
2. Introduction
3. Why Groundwater monitoring is required
4. Groundwater Regime monitoring
5. Groundwater monitoring cycle
6. Period of measurement
7. Establishment of network stations
8. Base line data collection
9. Groundwater level data collection
10. Analysis of water level data
11. Groundwater scenario of India
12. Groundwater quality monitoring
13. Challenges in monitoring
14. Groundwater management through monitoring

3. 3
Self Introduction
Name: Venugopalan Nair
Education:
M.Sc. (Applied Geology), Barkatullah University, Bhopal, India
M.Tech (Remote Sensing), Bharathidasan University, Trichy, India
M.Tech (Hydrology), IIT, Roorkee, India
Experience: 15 Years + in GIS
National Geophysical Research Institute
GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development
Defense Terrain Research Lab
Central Groundwater Board
RMSI
SBL

4. 4
Why Groundwater Regime Monitoring
 Ground Water is extensive, concealed and inaccessible resource and its changes in
quantity and quality are through slow process.
 Quick monitoring is not possible
 Require long term monitoring and its analysis and interpretation
 Is an indicative of hydrologic stresses undergone by aquifer which is having impacts on
Groundwater recharge, storage and discharge
 Will help in design, implement and monitor the effectiveness of Groundwater
management, protection and conservation program.
 Intervals depends on purpose

5. 5
Groundwater Regime Monitoring
Definition: Water level measurements from a network of
observation wells.
It is a collection of data, generally at set locations and depths
and a at regular time intervals in order to provide information
which may be used to determine the state of groundwater
both in quantitative and qualitative sense, provide the basis
for detecting trends in space and time, and enable the
establishment of cause-effect relationships.
Objective: Is to record information on Groundwater level and
quality through representative sampling in space and time
Time period: January, April/May, August, November (samples
on April/May)
Process involved:
 Establishment of monitoring stations
 Base line data collection
 Data collection
 Data storage and arrangements
 Statistical and spatial analysis
 Interpretation

6. 6
Period of Measurement
 January - 1st to 10th of the month- represents the recession stage of water level
 AprilMay - 20th to 30th of the month - represents water level of Pre-monsoon period
 August - 20th to 30th of the month - represents peak monsoon water level
 November - 1st to 10th of the month- represents water level of Post-monsoon period

7. 7
Groundwater Monitoring Cycle

8. 8
Establishment of network stations
A groundwater monitoring network is a system of dedicated Groundwater monitoring wells
in a geo hydrological unit at which Groundwater levels and water quality are measured at
pre-determined frequency.
Criteria:
 It should be representative for hydro geological set up
 There should be optimum number of stations based on management criteria
 There should not be any immediate abstraction or drawdown effect
 Station should be accessible
 Station should be permanent and is representative of local area
 There should be replacement possibilities
 Due consideration of hydrological process in the unit
Monitoring stations can be
 A key hole to aquifer
 An abstraction well (tube well, bore well, or dug well)
 Observation well
 Piezometers

9. 9
Baseline data collection
 Done at the time of development of a well
 A static water level will be recorded as m bgl
 Estimate altitude of the location with respect to mean
sea level in a msl
 A well log will also be prepared
 Water samples will be collected for individual aquifers
 These analysis results will be recorded and retained for
further comparison

10. 10
Groundwater level data collection
Non-flowing wells
Steel tape and chalk
Electric tape
Pressure transducers
Acoustic probe
Ultrasonic
Floats
Poppers
Air Lines
Flowing wells
Transducers
Manometer/pressure gage

11. 11
Analysis of Water level data

12. 12
Groundwater Level Scenario of India
Total number of NHNS: 12225
North of Ganges 2-5m bgl
North Western India 10-40m bgl
Delhi, parts of Rajasthan >40m bgl
East and West <10m bgl
Central India 2-5m bgl
Rice/Fall <2m 2-4m >4m
Rise in water level 46% 11% 5%
Fall in water level 28% 5% 2%

13. 13
Water Quality Monitoring
 pH
 TDS
 EC
 Total alkalinity
 Ca, Mg, Na, K
 Carbonate, sulphate, Fluoride, bicarbonate, nitrate, Chloride
 Total anions, total cations
 Sodium absorption ratio
Categorization of water into drinking, agricultural, industrial
etc

14. 14
Challenges in Groundwater Monitoring
 Data loss during and after measurement
 Inefficient use of man power and machinery
 Expensive instruments and logistics
 No visible return of investment
 Difficulty in vertical variation in quantity and quality
 Accuracy of the data
 Monitoring of deeper and confined aquifers is difficult

15. 15
Groundwater Management Through Monitoring
 Monitor impacts of abstraction on Groundwater system on a regional and local
scale
 Groundwater balancing and budgeting
 Calibration of numeric aquifer models
 Determining pump usage and horse power
 Determining the usage of water (potable, irrigable, industrial etc)
 Early warning of potential threats in quantity and quality of Groundwater
 Monitoring and managing of salt water intrusions
 Monitoring of health hazards
 To establish legal liabilities for pollution incidents and quantity issues
 Monitoring droughts and floods
 Monitoring water logging

16. 16
Groundwater Management – A solution

17. 17
Groundwater Management – Where GIS connects
the dots

18. 18
Carnival Infopark - Phase II
Kakkanad, Cochin,
India – 682030