SURVEY MADE OF N.Z. GROUND WATER SUPPLIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 59, 21 June 1950, Page 7

SURVEY MADE OF N.Z. GROUND WATER SUPPLIES

Approximately half the population of New Zealand is wholly or partly dependent on supplies of underground water for domestic and industrial use, the geologists recommend that methods of conservation and protection should be put in hand now to avoid possible future heavy expense and inconvenience.

Water obtained from the ground by means of wells in the Bay of Plenty has many advantages over surface supplies for certain domestic, industrial, and farm purposes: it is often the cheapest source of supply; it is usually sparkling clear and unpolluted, requiring no treatment before use; and it maintains a constant cool temperature and chemical composition.

Of the total amount of water used in New Zealand for domestic, industrial, and stock purposes, about a third is derived from wells and springs, and, taking into account the communities whose surfacewater supply is supplemented by ground water, it is computed that nearly a million people, or about half the population of the country., make use of the ground-water plySources of Supply

The Geological Survey of the Department of Scientific and T.dustrial' Research has recently issued a report on the conservation and protection of underground water in New Zealand. Details are given of the various water-bearing formations of the country, and their importance as sources of supply. Most parts of New Zealand are well favoured in this respect, because of the country’s fairly high rainfall, temperate climate, the small population, and moderate degree of industrialisation. It is pointed out that as yet little thought has been given to the -question of conserving ground water, for it is true that in most areas the safe perennial yield of the underground natural reservoirs of water exceeds by many times the present draw-off. As the population increases, however, ana greater industrialisation demands greater quantities of water in manufacturing processes, it is possible that in the future ground-water require ments may approach the safe yield in some areas.

It is recommended that a wide research programme be drawn up in which provision is made to study the amount of ground v/at-r available in different areas, its quality, rate of movement, and the best means of utilisaiion.