About the Surface Water Flows and Groundwater drilling Projects 

Aqua Intel Aotearoa (AIA) is working with Ngāti Porou and Gisborne District council (GDC) to learn more about surface water flows and groundwater in the north of Tairāwhiti - including Te Araroa, Waiapu, and Tolaga Bay. This information will help us to make better decisions about how to protect and use land and water. 

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AIA is working with Ngāti Porou and GDC to determine the priority locations for surface water monitoring and groundwater drilling sites, taking into account Ngāti Porou views on priorities for development of Māori owned land, including Waiomatatini and Makarika.

Surface water monitoring

GDC currently monitors water flow and water quality at a number of sites. This project gathers additional information from new sites in the vicinity of Hicks Bay, Te Araroa, Ruatoria, Tologa Bay, Waiomoko and Pakarae.  This includes new or additional gauging of river flows as well as “synoptic” gauging.  Synoptic gauging involves taking measurements at different points in a waterway on the same day, to identify where it is losing or gaining water from groundwater.

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GDC is monitoring the gauging sites on behalf of AIA for two years during the information-gathering phase of the project. Beyond the AIA project, the monitoring equipment will remain in place and be monitored by GDC. The sites will be visited monthly.

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Groundwater drilling

The aim of groundwater drilling is to understand more about what water resources lie under the ground in aquifers. Aquifers are areas of natural underground water storage where water flows into the ground between rocks and sediment. In this project monitoring wells will be drilled in Makarika, Whakapourangi, and Waiomatatini.  Examination of the bore cores will be completed by the end of 2024 and results reported back to the local communities and council. Gisborne District Council has also undertaken a programme of drilling at 12 sites on the East Coast. The two drilling programmes are complementary and will fill in gaps in the council’s network.

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Water budgeting

All of the information on surface water flows, groundwater drilling, synoptic gauging and AEM will be brought together in a water budget.  This will give a full picture of water resources on the East Coast, showing how the rainwater, groundwater and surface water interact. 
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What will this information tell us?

We will better understand surface water flows (the amount of water flowing in streams and rivers) and groundwater in our aquifers. The information will help us understand about how much water is available for use, and will be used to:

• help find locations for accessing drinking water; 

• fill gaps in tangata whenua, GDC, and landowner knowledge about water and guide decisions on water use; and

• better understand quantities of water potentially available to support land development.

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Who will have access to the data?

Data governance protocols will be developed with tangata whenua and GDC to ensure data is held and used appropriately.

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How to find out more

• Email us: info@aquaintel.co.nz

• Download a factsheet about the project

• Send an enquiry via the contact form below.