What issues and challenges will groundwater experts need to tackle in the coming years? That is what the Swiss Groundwater Network (CH-GNet) and the Swiss Society for Hydrogeology (SGH) wanted to find out from their colleagues. As part of a workshop and a wide-ranging survey, representatives from water supply companies, the research sector, public administration, engineering offices and specialist organisations were interviewed, thereby incorporating a wide variety of perspectives. Adrian Auckenthaler, President of the SGH and Head of Department at the Baselland Office for Environmental Protection and Energy, and Christian Moeck, a researcher at the Eawag Water Research Institute and Head of CH-GNet, initiated and analysed the survey.

Mr Auckenthaler, Mr Moeck, do the experts agree on where the greatest challenges for groundwater lie in Switzerland?

Christian Moeck: Yes, there were no surprises. The major challenges are the quality and quantity of groundwater – in other words, pollution and ensuring sufficient supplies despite climate change.

These aren’t new problems.

Adrian Auckenthaler: Yes, we’ve discussed that with our colleagues as well: we may talk time and again about new problematic substances in groundwater, but in principle few changes. Some substances that have long been the subject of discussion are, in some cases, still a problem today, such as nitrate. The focus today is on PFAS, TFA and their metabolites, and in future we will discover further substances that pose a problem. The question now is whether we can learn anything about dealing with these "new" substances from the approaches to groundwater protection taken so far. One important approach is to focus more on prevention rather than cure, and to ensure that problematic substances are not used in the first place.

Christian Moeck: "Many problems could be minimised pre-emptively, for example, through preliminary investigations."

Christian Moeck: It is often the case that we have known for a very long time that certain substances could be a problem – as is the case with PFAS, for example. In order to pre-emptively prevent them from polluting the groundwater or the environment as a whole, early assessments, sufficient resources, close cooperation between various stakeholders and coordinated measures are required.

Many problems could be minimised pre-emptively, for example, by carrying out preliminary investigations. A recent example is the concept of the sponge city. Such approaches can play an important role in tackling challenges such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall and the increasing sealing of land surfaces. This also includes measures such as artificial soils, which specifically influence water and material flows and open up new possibilities for managing precipitation and evaporation. At the same time, it is important to assess at an early stage how such approaches might affect seepage water and groundwater in the long term. It is crucial to take potential interactions into account right from the start – even beyond one’s own specialist field – in order to develop sustainable and long-term viable solutions.

Adrian Auckenthaler: "The issue of groundwater is often only considered at the very end."

Is the issue of groundwater often given too little consideration?

Adrian Auckenthaler: The issue of groundwater is often only considered at the very end. For example, in the case of approved building projects where piles need to be driven down to the water table for structural stability. Or projects that have been drawn up and which will, in part, be situated within groundwater protection zones without this having been clarified beforehand. Consequently, constraints are being created which could lead to a reduction in groundwater protection.

Christian Moeck: It is also about making the knowledge we experts have compiled visible – in other words, putting it into practice, passing it on to policymakers, and so on. That is a challenging task. 

Adrian Auckenthaler: The Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) regularly organises a discussion series entitled "Science et politique à table". This is an interesting format, as it brings science and national politics together directly. We had the opportunity to discuss the topic of groundwater at one of these round-table discussions and to outline the challenges involved. The event has attracted a great deal of interest.

When it comes to groundwater, there are not only conservation interests but also uses, such as in agriculture, where nutrients and plant protection products are used in the catchment areas of groundwater wells and where there is a growing need for water for irrigation. Although we are all consumers of drinking water, the water supply is often not given the same importance. We must therefore develop a strategy to better communicate groundwater-related issues compared to other specialist areas.

Adrian Auckenthaler: "Water supply is often not given the same priority as other specialist areas."

Christian Moeck: Spatial planning, too, would need to work more closely with groundwater protection in order to balance the various interests against one another.

Adrian Auckenthaler: We have drawn up a water strategy for the canton of Baselland. To this end, all stakeholders involved in water in any capacity have come together. The aim was to learn from one another and develop a shared understanding of the topic of water and the interconnections within the water cycle. Networks like these help ensure that the various experts can reach out to one another afterwards if they have any questions or problems.

In society, too, groundwater, as an invisible resource, struggles to be recognised for the importance it deserves. Do the experts there have to invest more in order to raise awareness of the importance of groundwater and the threats it faces?

Christian Moeck: Absolutely! For example, we are currently working on a fact sheet about groundwater and drought for the general public: what are the effects of drought, and what measures could be taken to combat it? The federal government’s Drought platform is also a valuable tool in this area.

Christian Moeck: “We were surprised at how difficult it was at times to obtain groundwater data, and at how varied it was.”

You said at the start that the experts are aware of the problems relating to the quality and quantity of groundwater. Nevertheless, groundwater data was an issue that was identified as a problem area in your survey. Could you explain why?

Christian Moeck: There are certain areas where there is not yet sufficient data, such as on irrigation.  In many other areas, a great deal of data is available, but it is often highly fragmented, meaning it is stored in a wide variety of different locations – with the federal government, the cantons, engineering offices, etc. This makes it difficult and very time-consuming to collate it.

We saw this with the Swiss groundwater database, which we set up recently. We were surprised at how difficult it was at times to obtain data, and at how varied it was. Because it takes so much effort just to compile this data in the first place, I think this sometimes prevents the existing data from being analysed more effectively.

Adrian Auckenthaler: This requires the political will and the technical resources to process data in such a way that it can be more easily amalgamated.

Through your survey, you have identified where action is needed and the direction in which things should go. So, what are the next steps?

Christian Moeck: Based on our findings, we have identified seven key areas for action: strengthening the implementation and enforcement of measures; improving coordination between different levels of government and sectors; establishing and strengthening networks; investing in education and public involvement; promoting data integration; addressing new and emerging challenges proactively; and strengthening political will and providing long-term resources.

The task now is to develop these approaches in more detail. To this end, responsibilities must be clarified, priorities set, and the seven strategic areas of action translated into concrete and actionable measures.

At the end of this year, the Swiss Groundwater Network and the Swiss Society for Hydrogeology will be holding another workshop. The aim is to work together to develop a strategy for how these objectives can be put into practice in the coming years.