The European GestEAUr project, funded by the Interreg Sudoe programme, has obtained the first results from the monitoring of the piezometers installed last March in the municipality of Fontiveros, in the province of Ávila. The initial measurements confirm the usefulness of these devices in providing a more accurate understanding of how the aquifer functions and how it interacts with the Zapardiel River.
José Luis Molina, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Salamanca, leader of the IGA research group (Infrastructure, Management and Water) and principal investigator of the project, explains that the objective is to “monitor changes in piezometric levels between the Fontiveros wastewater treatment plant and the channels of the Molino stream and the Zapardiel River.”
Piezometers are boreholes fitted with measuring instruments that make it possible to monitor changes in groundwater levels. Regular monitoring provides essential information about how an aquifer is recharged, how it responds to seasonal variations and how it interacts with surface watercourses.
Since the installation work was completed, two measurement campaigns have already been carried out. Regarding the results, Molina highlights that “the further away we move from the Zapardiel River channel, the deeper the water table becomes.” He also notes that “there has been a drop of approximately 50 centimetres since the end of the rainy season, three months ago, in the piezometer closest to the wastewater treatment plant.”
Although monitoring will need to continue in order to confirm this behaviour over time, these data represent an initial step forward in the hydrogeological characterisation of the area. The information obtained will improve understanding of the aquifer’s dynamics and will provide a basis for other parts of the project related to data availability and the development of management tools.