The Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute (PGI-NRI) has started a project called FEnIKS_Inwestycje (FEnIKS_Investments) to modernise and develop the national groundwater monitoring system.

With the support of European Funds, it will allow the expansion of measurement and research infrastructure and the purchase of modern field and analytical equipment.

Why is this important?

Groundwater, due to the stability of its chemistry and the number of documented resources, is a significantly better guarantor of the supply of water for consumption to the Polish population than surface water. Their share in the overall balance is over 70%. To effectively protect and manage groundwater resources, regular monitoring is necessary to provide up-to-date and precise data on their quantity and quality. Systematic surveys help to detect changes and respond to potential threats such as droughts or pollution. Groundwater monitoring is carried out by the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute under the Act on Water Law. Groundwater quantity and quality tests are performed at over 2,000 monitoring points forming the Groundwater Monitoring and Research Network (Polish abbreviation: SOBWP). Data obtained as part of the national groundwater monitoring system implemented by PGI-NRI is transferred to the State Environmental Monitoring system.

What does the project include?

• The following investments are planned as part of the new project:
• purchase of a modern mobile drilling rig and a hydraulic truck crane (HDS) for transporting equipment and materials,
• purchase of off-road vehicles for monitoring surveys,
• purchase and installation of automatic equipment for measuring the water table level at the observation and research network points, which will monitor the water level in real time,
• retrofitting with field equipment, including multi-parameter probes and GPS devices.
  
  

Benefits for society

The state administration and citizens will both benefit from the modern monitoring system. With improved data collection and analysis methods:

• it will be possible to react more quickly to threats to groundwater, 
• the quality of reporting to national and European institutions will be improved,
• data will be more precise and more easily accessible to scientists, officials and businesses,
• high quality measurement data will be ensured.
  
  

Project funding

The project is co-financed by the European Funds under the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment 2021-2027 programme.

Through the implementation of the FEnIKS_Investycje (FEnIKS_Investments) project, Poland will gain a modern and more effective groundwater monitoring system, allowing for better management of this valuable resource for present and future generations.