Marlborough region

Groundwater Zone: Benmorven

A very low-yielding and highly confined aquifer system south-west of Blenheim, underlying the area south of New Renwick Road and between Benmorven to Paynters Roads. Rates of groundwater recharge and turnover are sluggish, with water remaining in the aquifer for several hundred years before use. Aquifer pressures increase with depth below the surface and only the northern areas have artesian pressure now, due to high use of the aquifer since 1997.

On paper Benmorven Aquifer groundwater is over-allocated and heavily committed in dry seasons. Well levels have varied by up to 15 metres since 1990, mostly because of pumping rather than changes in recharge rates. Wells vary in depth from less than 10 metres to more than 150 metres below the surface with multiple water-bearing layers.

Abstraction rates are well documented based on good records dating back to 1985 which characterise the cause and effect of well pumping.

Water Use

Groundwater in this zone

Regional councils collect information about how much water is available and manage resource consents for those wishing to take water from groundwater supplies. Use the buttons below to view regional information on: how much water is available, where it comes from and how its used.

Groundwater available: {{waterSource.availableToAllocate}} Irrigation
{{waterUsage.irrigationLabel}} Industrial
{{waterUsage.industrialLabel}} Stock
{{waterUsage.stockLabel}} Hydroelectrical
{{waterUsage.hydroLabel}} Town supply
{{waterUsage.drinkingLabel}}

Groundwater in this zone

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Groundwater in this zone

Accurately estimating the total amount of water available in a groundwater management zone is not currently possible. Regional Councils are working with the Ministry for the Environment on the best way to calculate this figure. We will include these figures on LAWA when they become available. In the meantime, for more information about a particular groundwater management zone, contact your regional council.

Water consents: How much water is consented and used?

Groundwater available to consent

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Consented water in this groundwater zone

Use the tables below to look at how much water is available compared with how much is actually consented within this water management zone. Click the plus to expand subzones where available

Comparing consents and use
Amount available to consent	In this groundwater management zone: {{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}} {{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}} available to consent
Amount consented measured and non measured
Amount used (measured)
	Amount	Units	Consented or used as a percentage of available
Total available to consent	{{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}}			{{item.data.totalAvailableAmount}}	{{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}
Total consented	{{item.data.totalConsented.amount}}			{{item.data.totalConsented.amount}}	{{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}	{{item.data.totalConsented.percentText}}
Total consented and measured	{{item.data.totalMeasured.amount}}			{{item.data.totalMeasured.amount}}	{{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}	{{item.data.totalMeasured.percentText}}
Total measured amount used	{{item.data.totalAmountUsed.amount}}	{{item.data.totalAvailableUnits}}	{{item.data.totalAmountUsed.percentText}}
Total measured volume used	{{item.data.totalAnnualVolumeUsed}}	{{item.data.totalAnnualVolumeUnits}}

The table above shows the amount of water that is available for use compared to the amount that has been consented. The ‘Total Consented’ and ‘Total Consented and Measured’ fields are based on percentages of the ‘Total available to Consent’ field. If this field is not populated no data will be displayed. Some consents require actual use to be monitored and this is presented as 'Total measured volume Used' where available.

Water consents: How is consented water used?

Consents by use in this groundwater zone

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Consented water in this zone

Overall annual volume for {{waterAvailable.year}}

Relative breakdown

Activity	Percentage of total consented	Total volume	Number of consents
{{item.displayText}}	-	-	No data available		{{item.breakdownPercentage}}%	{{item.totalVolume}} m³	{{item.numberOfConsents}}
Total	{{waterUsage.total.percentageConsented}}%	{{waterUsage.total.totalVolume}} m³	{{waterUsage.total.numberOfConsents}}

The above table shows the proportion of water consented for irrigation, industrial, stock, town supply and other. It excludes hydro electricity. In this region/management zone {{hydroUsage.totalVolume}} m³/year is consented for hydro-electricity and makes up {{hydroUsage.percentageConsented}}% of the total water volume consented for this region/management zone

It excludes stock water as the taking of stock water in Marlborough is a permitted activity and a resource consent is not required or issued for this activity.

The town supply activity total includes council operated schemes in both urban and rural settings as well as private communal rural schemes.

Sites

Monitored sites in this Zone

...retrieving sites.

No sites found.

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