Division 2.2 Further characterisation

Following this initial characterisation, Member States shall carry out further characterisation of those groundwater bodies or groups of bodies which have been identified as being at risk in order to establish a more precise assessment of the significance of such risk and identification of any measures to be required under Article 11. Accordingly, this characterisation shall include relevant information on the impact of human activity and, where relevant, information on:

• geological characteristics of the groundwater body including the extent and type of geological units,

• hydrogeological characteristics of the groundwater body including hydraulic conductivity, porosity and confinement,

• characteristics of the superficial deposits and soils in the catchment from which the groundwater body receives its recharge, including the thickness, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, and absorptive properties of the deposits and soils,

• stratification characteristics of the groundwater within the groundwater body,

• an inventory of associated surface systems, including terrestrial ecosystems and bodies of surface water, with which the groundwater body is dynamically linked,

• estimates of the directions and rates of exchange of water between the groundwater body and associated surface systems,

• sufficient data to calculate the long term annual average rate of overall recharge,

• characterisation of the chemical composition of the groundwater, including specification of the contributions from human activity. Member States may use typologies for groundwater characterisation when establishing natural background levels for these bodies of groundwater.