Data

Waterbase - Groundwater

Data

Prod-ID: DAT-11-en

Created 13 May 2011 Published 13 May 2011 Last modified 15 Dec 2022

13 min read

This is an old version, kept for reference only.

Go to latest version

Topics: Water and marine environment

This page was archived on 16 Jun 2014 with reason: Other (Access to earlier versions of Waterbase-Groundwater data files have been restricted to authorised users only.)

Waterbase is the generic name given to the EEA's databases on the status and quality of Europe's rivers, lakes, groundwater bodies and transitional, coastal and marine waters, and on the quantity of Europe's water resources

Data and maps

Menu

European data

Waterbase - Groundwater (4 tables)

Dataset contains data selected from reporting of member and collaborating countries on chemical quality of groundwater, characteristics of groundwater bodies and sampling sites. Reported data have been assessed and processed by the ETC-Water and the EEA. Disaggregated records were annually aggregated by groundwater body, substance and year, and statistic value calculated. Results of quality assessment have been incorporated into the individual data tables.

[+] Show table definition

Groundwater Body Characteristics and Pressures (Waterbase_groundwater_v11_Bodies, 6939 records)

Physical characteristics and proxy pressures on groundwater bodies.

Field name	Definition	Note	data type
RecordID	Unique record identifier		long
RecordReported	Date when the record was reported by the data provider.		text(10)
CountryCode	Abbreviation of EEA Member or Collaborating Country	ISO 3166-1-alpha-2 code elements	text(2)
Waterbase_GWBcode	Internally produced, unique, Waterbase compatible identifier of groundwater body.	[CountryCode] + "_GWB_" + [GWBcode_WFD] (or GWBcode_EIONET if GWBcode_WFD code has not been provided)	text(50)
GWBcode_WFD	International, unique identifier of the groundwater body which was delineated according to the Water Framework Directive, Article 5 and under which it was reported to the European Commission.		text(50)
GWBcode_EIONET	International, unique identifier of the groundwater body which was delineated for the use within the EIONET.		text(50)
GWBname	Name of the groundwater body		text(255)
Reference_year	GW_bodies: Last year of revision or update of the groundwater body characteristics.		long
GWNo_of_Horizon	Vertical position of a groundwater horizon in which the groundwater body is situated.		long
NationalGWBcode	Nationally assigned identifier of the groundwater body.		text(50)
RBDcode	River Basin District Code		text(20)
RBDname	Name of the River Basin District.		text(150)
RBD_SubUnitCode	River Basin District Sub Unit code.		text(50)
Area	Area of the groundwater body in km2.		decimal
Depth_to_GW_Min	Minimum depth from the surface to the top of the groundwater body in m.		decimal
Depth_to_GW_Mean	Mean depth from the surface to the top of the groundwater body in m.		decimal
Depth_to_GW_Max	Maximum depth from the surface to the top of the groundwater body in m.		decimal
Thickness_Min	Minimum thickness of the groundwater body in m.		decimal
Thickness_Mean	Mean thickness of the groundwater body in m.		decimal
Thickness_Max	Maximum thickness of the groundwater body in m.		decimal
Max_Width	Maximum width of the groundwater body perpendicular to groundwater flow direction in km.		decimal
Max_Length	Maximum length of flow path within the groundwater body in km.		decimal
Petrographic_Description	Short petrographic description of the dominant components of the stratigraphy of the groundwater body.		memo
Stratigraphy	Description of the stratigraphy (geological period) of the groundwater body.		text (255)
Main_aquifer_type	Predominant aquifer type.		text(150)
Overlying_Strata	Description of the groundwater body's overlying strata.		text(255)
Confined	Value in the field tells whether the aquifer is confined or not.	A confined aquifer is a aquifer that is confined or overlain by a layer that does not transmit water in any appreciable amount or that is impermeable. An unconfined aquifer is a aquifer with water table open to the atmosphere through permeable overlying material.	text(3)
Associated_Aquatic_Ecosystems	Information, whether the aquatic ecosystems are associated with the groundwater body.		text(3)
Associated_Aquatic_Ecosystems_Purpose	Description of the aquatic ecosystems associated with the groundwater body.		text(255)
Main_Infrastructures	Information, whether the main infrastructures affect the dynamics of the groundwater body.		text(3)
Main_Infrastructures_Purpose	Description of the main infrastructures affecting the dynamics of the groundwater body.		text(255)
Hydraulic_Conductivity_Min	Minimum hydraulic conductivity of the groundwater as a kf- value.		decimal
Hydraulic_Conductivity_Mean	Mean hydraulic conductivity of the groundwater as a kf- value.		decimal
Hydraulic_Conductivity_Max	Maximum hydraulic conductivity of the groundwater as a kf- value.		decimal
Annual_GW_Level_Amplitude_Min	Minimum of the range between the lowest and highest groundwater level within a year in m.		decimal
Annual_GW_Level_Amplitude_Mean	Mean of the range between the lowest and highest groundwater level within a year in m.		decimal
Annual_GW_Level_Amplitude_Max	Maximum of the range between the lowest and highest groundwater level within a year in m.		decimal
Annual_Precipitation_Min	Minimum long term annual precipitation over the groundwater body area in mm.		decimal
Annual_Precipitation_Mean	Mean long term annual precipitation over the groundwater body area in mm.		decimal
Annual_Precipitation_Max	Maximum long term annual precipitation over the groundwater body area in mm.		decimal
Water_Abstractions	Information, whether water is abstracted from the groundwater body.		text(3)
Water_Abstractions_Purpose	Purpose for which water is abstracted from the groundwater body.		text (255)
Artificial_Recharge	Information, whether the groundwater body is artifically recharged.		text(3)
Artificial_Recharge_Purpose	Purpose for the artificial recharge of the groundwater body.		text(255)
Main_Recharge_Source	Main source recharging the groundwater body, as defined in the codelist.		text (100)
QA_DDviolations	Quality assessment field - data definition errors	List of field names and their values where values that do not follow the official specifications. Details are explained in the QA documentation.	memo

Physical Characteristics of Groundwater Monitoring Stations (Waterbase_groundwater_v11_Stations, 20247 records)

Physical characteristics of the WISE-SoE groundwater monitoring stations.

Field name	Definition	Note	data type
RecordID	Unique record identifier		long
RecordReported	Date when the record was reported by the data provider.		text(10)
CountryCode	Abbreviation of EEA Member or Collaborating Country	ISO 3166-1-alpha-2 code elements	text(2)
Waterbase_StationID	Internally produced, unique Waterbase identifier of the groundwater monitoring station	CountryCode + '_GW_' + StationID	text(70)
StationID	International identifier of the groundwater monitoring station.		text(70)
Waterbase_GWBcode	Internally produced, unique, Waterbase compatible identifier of groundwater body.	[CountryCode] + "_GWB_" + [GWBcode_WFD] (or GWBcode_EIONET if GWBcode_WFD code has not been provided)	text(50)
GWBcode_WFD	International, unique identifier of the groundwater body which was delineated according to the Water Framework Directive, Article 5 and under which it was reported to the European Commission.		text(50)
GWBcode_EIONET	International, unique identifier of the groundwater body which was delineated for the use within the EIONET.		text(50)
NationalStationID	Identifier of the groundwater monitoring station, unique at the national level.		text(100)
NationalStationName	National name of the monitoring station		text(150)
WFD_EU_CD	Unique international identifier of the monitoring station under which the station was reported as WFD Art.8 monitoring station.		text(50)
WFDstation_country	Specification yes / no, whether the monitoring station was reported to European Commission as Water Framework Directive, Article 8 monitoring station.		text(3)
WFDstation_ETC	Information, whether the station was mapped by ETC Water as WFD Art.8 station	yes/no	text(3)
Longitude	International geographical longitude (x) co-ordinate in decimal degrees format.		decimal
Latitude	International geographical latitude (x) co-ordinate in decimal degrees format.		decimal
Type_of_use	A code of type of use of groundwater.	DRW - drinking water, IND - industrial supply, OTH - other Use, SUR - surveillance	text(20)
well_or_spring	Code informing whether the sampling site is well or spring.	S - spring, T - shaft, W - well	text(1)
FirstUsage	Date, when the earliest disaggregated data record stored in the working database was sampled in this station.		date/time
LastUsage	Date, when the latest disaggregated data record stored in the working database was sampled in this station.		date/time
QA_station_issues	Quality assessment field - stations data quality issues flag	List of codes of station data issues detected in the record. Details are explained in the QA documentation.	text(100)
QA_DDviolations	Quality assessment field - data definition errors	List of field names and their values where values that do not follow the official specifications. Details are explained in the QA documentation.	memo

Chemical Quality of Groundwater (Waterbase_groundwater_v11_Quality, 424700 records)

Annualy aggregated data on selected chemical substances in groundwater bodies, including information on the number and type of sampling sites, the monitoring frequency, the number of sampling sites for each range of concentration values and statistics.

Field name	Definition	Note	data type
RecordID	Unique record identifier		long
RecordReported	Date when the record was reported by the data provider.		text(10)
CountryCode	Abbreviation of EEA Member or Collaborating Country	ISO 3166-1-alpha-2 code elements	text(2)
Waterbase_GWBcode	Internally produced, unique, Waterbase compatible identifier of groundwater body.	[CountryCode] + "_GWB_" + [GWBcode_WFD] (or GWBcode_EIONET if GWBcode_WFD code has not been provided)	text(50)
GWBcode_WFD	International, unique identifier of the groundwater body which was delineated according to the Water Framework Directive, Article 5 and under which it was reported to the European Commission.		text(50)
GWBcode_EIONET	International, unique identifier of the groundwater body which was delineated for the use within the EIONET.		text(50)
Year	Year of aggregation period in which samples were taken/Year in which sample was taken.		long
AggregationPeriod	Period of aggregation of measurement data.		text(20)
DeterminandName	Name of the determinand.		text(150)
DeterminandCode	Internal identification number of the determinand monitored		long
CASNumber	Chemical Abstract Service Number of the hazardous substance or other chemical determinand.		text(64)
Unit	Unit of Measurement		text(50)
NumberOfSites	Total number of sampling sites within aggregation period.		long
Drinking_Water_Sites	Number of sampling sites used for drinking water purposes.		long
Industrial_Sites	Number of sampling sites used for industrial purposes.		long
Surveillance_Sites	Number of sampling sites used for surveillance purposes.		long
Other_Sites	Number of sampling sites used for other purposes.		long
SamplingFrequency	Average frequency that the sampling sites were monitored during the aggregation period.		decimal
NumberOfSamples	Number of samples included in aggregated data.		long
NoOfSamplesBelowLODorLOQ	Number of samples below Limit of Detection or below Limit of Quantification included in aggregated data.		long
LimitOfDetection	Concentration for which there is a desirably small probability (around 5%) that the determinand will not be detected i.e. there is a 95% probability that the determinand will be detected.		decimal
LimitOfQuantification	The smallest concentration that can be distinguished from the analytical blank at a chosen level of statistical confidence (usually 95%).		decimal
Minimum	Minimum disaggregated sample concentration value of the input data used for aggregation.		decimal
Mean	Mean concentration value of aggregated data.		decimal
Maximum	Maximum disaggregated sample concentration value of the input data used for aggregation.		decimal
Median	Median concentration value of aggregated data.		decimal
Class_1	The number of Class 1 sampling sites.	The Class 1 sampling sites are sites where average concentration of disaggregated values within the aggregation period, for the respective determinands, are as follows: Ammonium <= 0.1 mg/l, Dissolved Oxygen <= 2 mg/l, Nitrate <= 10 mg/l, Nitrite <= 0.01 mg/l, Hazardous substances <= LOD or LOQ	long
Class_2	The number of Class 2 sampling sites.	The Class 2 sampling sites are sites where average concentration of disaggregated values within the aggregation period, for the respective determinands, are as follows: Ammonium between > 0.1 and <= 0.3 mg/l, Dissolved Oxygen between > 2 and <= 5 mg/l, Nitrate between > 10 and <= 25 mg/l, Nitrite between > 0.01 and <= 0.03 mg/l, Hazardous substances <= [Drinking water threshold] and at least one sample above LOD or LOQ in case of substances specified in the "Drinking water treshold" table (see codelists), NULL for other hazardous substances	long
Class_3	The number of Class 3 sampling sites.	The Class 3 sampling sites are sites where average concentration of disaggregated values within the aggregation period, for the respective determinands, are as follows: Ammonium between > 0.3 and <= 0.5 mg/l, Dissolved Oxygen > 5 mg/l, Nitrate between > 25 and <= 50 mg/l, Nitrite between > 0.03 and <= 0.06 mg/l, Hazardous substances > [Drinking water threshold] in case of substances specified in the "Drinking water treshold" table (see codelists), NULL for other hazardous substances	long
Class_4	The number of Class 4 sampling sites.	The Class 4 sampling sites are sites where average concentration of disaggregated values within the aggregation period, for the respective determinands, are as follows: Ammonium > 0.5 mg/l, Nitrate > 50 mg/l, Nitrite between > 0.06 and <= 0.1 mg/l, NULL for all other substances	long
Class_5	The number of Class 5 sampling sites.	The Class 5 sampling sites are sites where average concentration of disaggregated values within the aggregation period, for the respective determinands, are as follows: Nitrite > 0.1 mg/l, NULL for all other substances	long
AggregatedBy	Subject(s) that aggregated the data.		text(20)
QA_MVissues			long
QA_LRviolations	Quality assessment field - list of logical rules violations.	List of codes of logical rules violated by record. Details are explained in the QA documentation.	text(100)
QA_outlier	Quality assessment field - outlier flag.	Outlier code assigned to the record. Details are explained in the QA documentation.	long
QA_DDviolations	Quality assessment field - data definition errors	List of field names and their values where values that do not follow the official specifications. Details are explained in the QA documentation.	memo

Saltwater Intrusion (Waterbase_groundwater_v11_Saltwater_intrusion, 13 records)

Data on occurrences of saltwater intrusion caused by groundwater over-exploitation.

Field name	Definition	Note	data type
RecordID	Unique record identifier		long
RecordReported	Date when the record was reported by the data provider.		text(10)
CountryCode	Abbreviation of EEA Member or Collaborating Country	ISO 3166-1-alpha-2 code elements	text(2)
Waterbase_SALTcode	Internally produced, unique, Waterbase compatible identifier of groundwater body.	[CountryCode] + "_SWI_" + [SALT code]	text(50)
SALTcode	Unique identifier of the area indicating the occurrence of saltwater intrusion.		text(50)
Waterbase_GWBcode	Internally produced, unique, Waterbase compatible identifier of groundwater body.	[CountryCode] + "_GWB_" + [GWBcode_WFD] (or GWBcode_EIONET if GWBcode_WFD code has not been provided)	text(50)
GWBcode_WFD	International, unique identifier of the groundwater body which was delineated according to the Water Framework Directive, Article 5 and under which it was reported to the European Commission.		text(50)
GWBcode_EIONET	International, unique identifier of the groundwater body which was delineated for the use within the EIONET.		text(50)
Reference_year	Last year of revision or update of the saltwater intrusion characteristics.		long
Longitude	International geographical longitude (x) co-ordinate in decimal degrees format.		decimal
Latitude	International geographical latitude (x) co-ordinate in decimal degrees format.		decimal
SALTname	Name of the area, spot or groundwater body which indicates the occurence of saltwater intrusion.		text(255)
SALTarea	Area affected by saltwater intrusion in km2.		decimal
Cause	The primary reason for the saltwater intrusion in the groundwater body.		text(255)
Since	Year when saltwater intrusion started.		long
QA_station_issues	Quality assessment field - stations data quality issues flag	GW-Saltwater_intrusion: List of codes of issues detected in the saltwater intrusion area spatial data. Details are explained in the QA documentation.	text(100)
QA_DDviolations	Quality assessment field - data definition errors	List of field names and their values where values that do not follow the official specifications. Details are explained in the QA documentation.	memo

Additional information

Tables metadata

Definition and field description of all data tables.

Tables metadata (XLS file) (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet)
54.50 KB Download file
Tables metadata (CSV files) (ZIP archive)
5.89 KB Download file

Code lists

Lists and description of codes of selected fields present in the Waterbase-Groundwater data tables. Table "Drinking water threshold" is included.

Code lists (XLS file) (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet)
162.50 KB Download file
Code lists (CSV files) (ZIP archive)
19.37 KB Download file

QA documentation

Quality control documentation briefly presents ETC-ICM and EEA activities focused on quality of Waterbase-Groundwater dataset and results of these activities. In addition warning is given on the use of certain records for analytical purposes.

QA documentation (ZIP archive)
40.69 KB Download file

Metadata

Reporting obligations (ROD)

Groundwater quality (EWN-3)

Rights:

EEA standard re-use policy: unless otherwise indicated, re-use of content on the EEA website for commercial or non-commercial purposes is permitted free of charge, provided that the source is acknowledged (https://www.eea.europa.eu/legal/copyright). Copyright holder: European Environment Agency (EEA).

Disclaimer:

Data in Waterbase are sub-samples of national data assembled for the purpose of providing comparable indicators of pressures, state and impact of waters on a Europe-wide scale and the data sets are not intended for assessing compliance with any European Directive or any other legal instrument. Information on the national and sub-national scales should be sought from other sources.

Data sources

The European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine waters. Version 11, date of delivery (date sent to the Data Service): 05/05/2011.

Owners:

European Environment Agency (EEA)

Processors:

European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine waters (ETC/ICM)

Additional information

Waterbase contains timely, reliable and policy-relevant data collected from EEA member countries through the WISE-SoE data collection (formerly known as Eionet-Water and Eurowaternet) process. WISE-SoE data collection selects validated monitoring data from national databases and adds information on the physical characteristics of the water bodies being monitored and on the pressures potentially affecting water quality. The added value of Waterbase is that data collected through the WISE-SoE data collection process are from statistically stratified monitoring stations and groundwater bodies and are comparable at the European level. Waterbase data are primarily used in the production of the EEA's indicator-based factsheets.

Permalinks

Permalink to this version: bf5ccddd1a3138b6457bc5758b394dd5
Permalink to latest version: DAT-11-en

Older versions

12 May 2010 - Waterbase - Groundwater

06 May 2009 - Waterbase - Groundwater

20 Jun 2008 - Waterbase - Groundwater

02 May 2006 - Waterbase - Groundwater

10 Oct 2005 - Waterbase - Groundwater

01 Jul 2004 - Waterbase - Groundwater

09 Oct 2003 - Reference Waterbase - Groundwater

01 Jan 2002 - Reference Waterbase - Groundwater

Geographic coverage

Albania Austria Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Cyprus Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom