Land Use Impacts
All forms of land use affect sub-surface water quality and water flows. Increasing the intensity of primary industry land uses, the scale of mining operations, and the quantity of wastes applied back on the land all increase risks to groundwater and groundwater dependent ecosystems.
Aqualinc is actively involved in efforts to achieve sustainable economic growth through our consulting and research in areas such as land-based treatment of effluent, diffuse discharge of contaminants to groundwater, and the impacts of mining on water quality and flows.
Intensive Agriculture
Aqualinc’s expertise on water and contaminant transport in soils, vadose zones, and groundwater systems, and our practical knowledge of agriculture and horticulture equips us well to take a “whole systems” approach to assessing the effects of land-use activities on groundwater quality.
Our team of scientists and engineers work collaboratively with government agencies and land-owners to develop answers to the following types of questions...
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Will this farm development change groundwater quality significantly and how could the risk of adverse effects be minimised?
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What is a groundwater system’s capacity to safely assimilate nutrients and other contaminants?
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How significant is the vadoze zone in reducing the risk of groundwater pollution?
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What is the “carrying capacity” of agricultural land overlying an aquifer?
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What area of land contributes to the contaminants in groundwater pumped by a specific water supply bore?
Land Treatment of Effluent and Wastewater
Aqualinc specialises in the design and management of systems for land treatment of effluent and wastewater. We provide consulting services in the following areas:
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Feasibility studies and issues and options analyses.
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Assessment of Environmental Effects.
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Resource consent applications and hearings.
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Design and commissioning of land-treatment systems.
These services are backed up by comprehensive research on the long-term effects of land-treatment of effluent on groundwater quality.
Water Management
Wise management of water resources is fundamental to sustaining economic growth and natural environments, and increasing the health, wealth and well-being of New Zealanders.
Aqualinc is committed to helping New Zealanders allocate and use freshwater in a sustainable, efficient and equitable way.
Our team of water management specialists contributes to achieving this goal by:
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Identifying better, and more strategic, ways of conserving and allocating water from aquifers, rivers and lakes.
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Identifying means of addressing water shortages and protecting in-stream values and needs.
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Developing the knowledge and tools required to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of water use.
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Working with central and local government agencies to optimise economic and social outcomes from freshwater use at a regional and national level.
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Increasing knowledge and providing information that enables issues of at-risk nationally significant water bodies to be addressed.
Water Allocation
The process of allocating water for abstraction from natural sources must provide answers to key questions such as:
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How much water can be allocated for abstraction?
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What conditions or rules should govern the taking of water?
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How should the allowable water take be allocated to specific users?
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What conditions should govern the use of the abstracted water?
Guiding principles are that the taking and use of water is environmentally sustainable, and that the use is reasonable and efficient.
Aqualinc’s water management experts are regularly engaged by water users and government agencies to develop answers to the above questions – to determine how best to allocate scarce water resources, taking into account the environmental, economic, social and cultural implications of water allocation decisions.
Integrated Management
The development of water resources sustains communities through the provision of safe and reliable supplies of water for drinking, recreation, industry, agriculture and energy production.
Managing water resources to meet these needs in a way that is environmentally and socially sustainable requires an ability to see, and work with, the Big Picture.
The Aqualinc team has that ability. We work on the following types of projects:
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Strategic planning, development and management of water resources
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Integrated water management
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Water demand analysis
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Water supply capacity and reliability analysis
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Assessing the effects of climate change on water supply and demand
Aqualinc staff are passionate about doing research that equips communities and individuals with the knowledge and tools for world-class water and nutrient management. Management that is better for the environment, better for the economy and better for our country. Current and past funders of our research work include MBIE (Endeavour Fund, Natural Hazards Research Platform), The Marsden Fund, MPI, MfE, Regional Councils, Irrigation New Zealand, and the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development.
The core purpose of our research is to lead New Zealand forward in these areas:
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Water Management: Limit Setting Information, methods and tools for Evidence-Based Decision Making for Setting Standards and Limits with respect to water quality and water allocation.
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“Real-Time” Water Management Practical methods and systems for operating within water quality and allocation limits and maximising socio-economic benefits of water and nutrient use.
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Irrigation Information, methods and tools for Irrigation Planning, Design and Management (covering both fresh water and effluent irrigation systems).
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Integrated water flow modelling Information, methods and tools for Integrated modelling of water flows in and between groundwater systems, rivers, lakes and water uses.
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Groundwater Increasing understanding of the dynamic response to natural forces and human activities of water and nutrient flows and volumes in groundwater systems, and in the unsaturated zone between the water-table and the land surface.