Assessment of inter-aquifer leakage in the Great Artesian Basin
Project details
| Objective: | To develop policies and standards to protect the groundwater resources of the Great Artesian Basin |
| Funding: |
$200,000 plus GST |
| Jurisdiction: | Queensland |
| Commences: | January 2009 |
| Completion: | November 2011 |
About the project
This project, to be conducted by Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water, will study the inter-aquifer leakage in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB).
The condition of many bore casings in the Queensland segment of the GAB is deteriorating due to corrosion and inadequate construction. Consequent uncontrolled flows from bores are wasting water and causing significant declines in aquifer pressure.
Leakage is also occurring between the good quality aquifers in the GAB and overlying poor quality aquifers, leading to contamination of good quality aquifers with saline water. This will potentially undermine the achievements of the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative (GABSI).
Previous scoping studies have indicated that in some areas over 60% of bores may have corroded casings. To date, groundwater experts have attempted to assess and understand the extent of inter-aquifer leakage by analysing the geophysical logs and bore hydrographs, and using pressure testing. These results now need to be extrapolated over the whole Basin, using desktop and field studies, to quantify the true extent of the problem.
Project benefits
This project will build on previous scoping studies to identify the extent of inter-aquifer leakage in the GAB. The results will be used to develop policies and standards to protect the groundwater resources of the Great Artesian Basin.