Management of Aquifers - Hydrogeology: Objectives, Methods, Applications - page 209

Humans can act on all three of these functions, and, particularly on
transfers, by artifi cially recharging the aquifer through infi ltration or
injection in order to benefi t from the naturally purifying environment and
to use its storage capacities. Reasonable actions enable the management of
the system, but they require a deep understanding of the three functions.

Table 21 Properties of Water Resources.

Surface water Groundwater

rapid acquisition of characteristics diffi cult-to-grasp characteristics

immediate availability study and construction necessary

rapid fl ow slow fl ow

rarely good in quality often excellent quality

high vulnerability natural protection

rapid return to initial state after pollution risk of long-term contamination

2 STUDIES

2.1 Data collection, controls, and monitoring of basins

Good management is dependent on the effectiveness of these. The goal
being to understand the characteristics of the environment, it is essential to
have access to reliable, homogeneous, and accessible data, conserved over
a length of time suffi cient to allow study and comparison.

2.1.1 Data networks

The European Union adopted, in September 2,000, a water framework
directive (WFD). It aims for a general goal of “good status” for the
different types of aquatic environments, in under fifteen years, over
the entire European territory, and including groundwater. The strategy
adopted to accomplish this task includes the defi nition of the current
state and long-term monitoring projects, in order to defi ne the actions
to be taken in the future. In France, hydrological and hydrogeological
knowledge is shared amongst the BRGM (Geological survey), the DREAL
(Regional environment administration), other delegated administrations,
Water Agencies, departmental councils, water exploitants, the national
meteorological society, and numerous stakeholders such as universities,
consulting fi rms, associations, etc. The stakeholders are therefore varied,
and information is dispersed. The State and public establishments manage
patrimonial information networks that ensure the following of the general
evolution of aquatic environments on a qualitative and quantitative level,