7. Groundwater monitoring

7.1 Technical manager

Monitoring of groundwater bodies has traditionally been carried out primarily by member states to monitor the state of the resource for its use (water for human consumption, irrigation, etc.). The Water Framework Directive now requires them to develop monitoring programs that also take account of the environmental quality of groundwater (i.e. the potential contribution of groundwater to low water levels in rivers, both as an ecosystem and as a usable resource). This paragraph summarizes the key principles of these monitoring programs. It draws heavily on a guidance document developed by the European Groundwater Group