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Europe’s groundwater — a key resource under pressure
‘Groundwater: making the invisible visible’ is the World Water Day theme for 22 March 2022. In recognition of this, this briefing provides an overview of the state of groundwater in the EU. Groundwater stores almost one third of total global freshwater resources and, in the EU, supplies 65% of drinking water and 25% of water for agricultural irrigation. Groundwater pollution is a serious threat to this resource. Recovery from pollution is not easy, as removing pollutants is difficult, meaning that they can accumulate. Groundwater resources are also under increasing pressure from water abstraction and climate change.
Relevant pressures for GWBs
Relative number of GWB where a pressure is significant (all classified GWBs and GWBs in poor quantitative status)
Salt water intrusions into groundwater in Europe (1999)
Saltwater intrusion as a result of groundwater over-exploitation is a major concern in many aquifers throughout Europe
Simulated depletion of groundwater (in mm per year) between 1990-2018
Colours assigned to different level of groundwater depletion
The WEI at river basin and sub-catchment scale within the RBD eastern Sterea Ellada (GR07) (Greece)
WEI total (left), for surface water (middle) and groundwater resources (right) at river basin (top) and sub-catchment scale (bottom) within the Greek RBD eastern Sterea Ellada (GR07).
The WEI for the RBD eastern Sterea Ellada (GR07) (Greece)
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Total number of measurements on the status and quality of Europe's rivers, lakes and groundwater bodies as reported by countries to the EEA over the period 1965–2008
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Triazine pesticides found in groundwater on at least one sampling occasion between 2003 and 2007, at concentrations above 0.1 μg/l
This map shows - for those countries that have reported data to the EEA – which of the triazine group of pesticides have been found in recent years in groundwater, on at least one sampling occasion, at a concentration greater than 0.1 µg/L, the standard under both the Groundwater and Drinking Water Directives. The data does not reflect the frequency with which the threshold has been exceeded.
Waterbase - Groundwater bodies
Nitrate concentration in groundwater
Nitrate concentrations in groundwater
Overview of contaminants affecting soil and groundwater in Europe
The graph shows an overview of main contaminants affecting soil
Percentage of groundwater body area not achieving good chemical status due to nitrate (a) and total nitrogen input from organic and inorganic fertilisers (b)
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Percentage of groundwater stations in each country exceeding the drinking water standard (50mg of nitrates per litre) during the last two reporting periods, 2012-2015 and 2016-2019, under the Nitrates Directive
The figure shows the percentage of groundwater stations in each EU country and the EU level, exceeding the drinking water standard (50 mg of nitrates per litre) during the last two reporting periods under the Nitrates Directive
Present concentration of nitrate at groundwater sampling sites in European countries
Regions affected by high nitrate concentration in the groundwater
Note: Map based on maps provided by National Focal Points.
Annual average national groundwater nitrate (mg/l NO3) by concentration class, 2008
The map shows the annual average groundwater nitrate concentrations in different European countries.
Chemical status of groundwater bodies
The graphs illustrate the chemical status of groundwater, Percentage of groundwater bodies in poor and good status, by area.
Percentage of area of groundwater bodies not in good chemical status per river basin district (RBD) in second RBMPs
Groundwater bodies failing to achieve good status, by RBD.
Diffuse pollution from agriculture causing poor chemical status in groundwater bodies in the EU-27
The map illustrates groundwater bodies of poor chemical status, affected significantly by diffuse source pollution from agriculture in the EU-27, as reported in national 2016 RBMPs.