Aquifer

Three Valleys Water is licensed by the Environment Agency to abstract over 30 million litres of water per day from the Ver aquifer by pumping from deep underground using several pumping stations the length of the Valley. Following the Buncefield Oil Depot disaster  some pollution of the water table meant the Bow Bridge Pumping Station was not used for nearly three years. Friars Wash has been on stand-by status since 1992 (as a result of pressure by VVS) but was used in the summer of 2006 in the drought.

Bow Bridge remained out of use from 2006 to August 2009 due to fears of contamination from the Buncefield fire fighting chemicals following the incident in December 2005. This certainly helped maintain the flow in the Ver in the next few summers. The aquifer was at or above average for much of 2008 and into 2009 but fell below average later in in 2009 and at the start of 2010.

 

As a general measure of the aquifer situation VVS uses groundwater figures measured by Environment Agency at Ballingdon Farm in the upper part of the valley. Recent figures in meters are given below.

 

 

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Aquifer Levels 2010

 

Month 2010	Actual	Average	Difference
	Aquifer (metres)	Aquifer (metres)	(metres)
January	128.49	130.92	-2.43
February	129.04	131.60	-2.56
March	131.94	132.38	-0.44
April			0.00
May			0.00
June			0.00
July			0.00
August			0.00
September			0.00
October			0.00
November			0.00
December			0.00

 

 

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Aquifer Levels 2009

 

Month 2009	Actual	Average	Difference
	Aquifer (metres)	Aquifer (metres)	(metres)
January	133.10	131.36	1.74
February	134.62	132.38	2.24
March	136.57	132.79	3.78
April	136.64	133.60	3.04
May	135.85	134.10	1.75
June	134.61	133.30	1.31
July	131.57	133.22	-1.65
August	132.30	132.56	-0.26
September	131.24	130.87	0.37
October	130.09	130.93	-0.84
November	128.80	130.91	-2.11
December	128.24	130.50	-2.26

 

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Aquifer Levels 2008

 

Month 2008	Actual	Average	Difference
	Aquifer (metres)	Aquifer (metres)	(metres)
January	131.26	131.36	-0.10
February	134.22	132.38	1.84
March	134.90	132.79	2.11
April	135.53	133.60	1.93
May	134.84	134.10	0.74
June	134.52	133.32	1.20
July	133.88	133.23	0.65
August	133.07	132.56	0.51
September	132.29	130.87	1.42
October	131.60	130.91	0.69
November	131.40	130.90	0.50
December	131.62	130.56	1.06

 

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Aquifer Levels 2007

 

Month 2007	Actual	Average	Difference
	Aquifer (metres)	Aquifer (metres)	(metres)
January	128.94	131.36	-2.42
February	132.60	132.38	0.22
March	135.67	132.79	2.88
April	136.26	133.60	2.66
May	135.60	134.10	1.50
June	134.79	133.32	1.47
July	133.78	133.23	0.55
August	132.83	132.56	0.27
September	131.82	130.83	0.99
October	131.40	130.87	0.53
November	130.90	130.91	-0.01
December	130.66	130.56	0.10

 

 

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Aquifer Levels 2006

 

Month 2006	Actual	Average	Difference
	Aquifer (metres)	Aquifer (metres)	(metres)
January	126.09	131.36	-5.27
February	126.03	132.38	-6.35
March	126.63	132.79	-6.16
April	126.63	133.60	-6.97
May	126.70	134.10	-7.40
June	126.71	133.32	-6.61
July	126.77	133.23	-6.46
August	126.45	132.56	-6.11
September	125.81	130.87	-5.06
October	125.49	130.93	-5.44
November	125.34	130.91	-5.57
December	126.47	130.56	-4.09

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Aquifer Levels 2005

 

Month 2005	Actual	Average	Difference
	Aquifer (metres)	Aquifer (metres)	(metres)
December	126.15	130.56	-4.41
November	126.15	130.91	-4.76
October	126.17	130.93	-4.76
September	126.17	130.87	-4.70
August	126.68	132.56	-5.88
July	127.24	133.23	-5.99
June	127.93	133.32	-5.39
May	127.76	134.10	-6.34
April	127.27	133.60	-6.33
March	127.77	132.79	-5.02
February	127.25	132.38	-5.13
January	128.15	131.36	-3.21