Community Water Monitoring: It's Worth Getting Involved

Scientists from the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining, and Geology have launched a pilot project for community monitoring of water levels in reservoirs in the Kozanów and Pilczyce neighborhoods. This initiative aims to raise ecological awareness among residents and draw attention to water issues in the urban environment.

"We talk too little about water in our country. This topic usually comes up in the context of crises, such as floods and droughts, or disasters related to the contamination of drinking water sources. However, the topic of water management and taking care of our water resources, although much more important, is still insufficiently discussed," says Dr. Krzysztof Chudy, a hydrogeologist from W6, flood leader, and vice-chairman of the Pilczyce-Kozanów-Popowice Płn. District Council. "Meanwhile, with the current climate changes and the growing problem of water depletion, the need to prepare appropriate solutions is becoming increasingly urgent," he emphasizes.

Groundwater – Essential for Everyone

Scientists from Wrocław University of Science and Technology have been interested in community monitoring of water quantities for some time. Dr. Magdalena Worsa-Kozak from the Department of Mining at the Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining, and Geology, for example, studied groundwater level fluctuations across Wrocław for her master's and later doctoral thesis.

Groundwater, in short, is water located beneath the earth's surface, filling the voids in rocks. It serves as a reservoir of drinking water on our planet, and in Poland, over 70% of the water used for public supply comes from groundwater sources.

"Groundwater is invisible, but it is actually the link between the precipitation we see and the river we use daily. Studying and observing it is crucial because if any problems arise in this part of the water cycle on earth, the consequences will be felt not only by us but by the entire biosphere associated with water," explains Dr. Chudy. "I encountered this in my local community in Kozanów and Pilczyce, where water in ponds is depleting and drying up. During the assessment of the speed and magnitude of these processes, the lack of data to scientifically describe this phenomenon, such as how quickly the water is depleting and whether it is a constant or seasonal trend, proved to be a problem. Hence the idea of monitoring water quantities," he adds.

Simple System, Significant Effects

Studying groundwater is not easy. It requires a specially designed and prepared borehole (piezometer), and measurements can only be taken by specialists. Another solution is to study river sources, which are mostly found in mountainous areas.

So how can this be done in Wrocław? By monitoring the levels of surface waters (rivers and reservoirs) and involving residents in the process.

"This is the main premise of our project. On water reservoirs where there are water problems, we would like to install so-called water gauge rods, which are simple devices resembling large rulers that allow for reading the water level. Anyone passing by such a reservoir can take a photo, record the current water level, and send this information using a special application. Ultimately, the data will be published on a website and available to all interested parties," explains Dr. Chudy.

The scientist admits that such solutions exist in the United States and some Western European countries, while in our country, similar initiatives are still in the pilot phase.

Meanwhile, community monitoring has many advantages – anyone can get involved in sending data, thus providing data for scientists. By participating in the project, individuals learn to observe and analyze information, take responsibility for our environment, and help the local community from which they often come.

"It was the residents who alerted us that Pilczycki Pond and Kozanowski Pond were drying up and asked us to investigate. This highlighted the significant lack of data that would allow us to determine the rate at which the ponds were drying. A few months ago, we installed water gauge rods on both reservoirs and, with the involvement of students from W6, we started preparing the entire community monitoring system. This is just the first step; our application is still in the testing phase, and we are learning many things, but the idea remains unchanged – it is to be a simple and open system for anyone who wants to get involved," emphasizes Dr. Chudy. "I also count on cooperation with the city. The capital of Lower Silesia strongly focuses on green development, and there will be no Green Wrocław without Blue Wrocław. These two concepts must simply be combined and realized that they depend on each other," he adds.

First Steps, Ambitious Plans

The scientist announces that if the initial tests of the entire system, planned until the end of June, are successful, regular measurements can start around the summer holidays. Initially, they will be conducted only in the Pilczyce and Kozanów areas, but it is not excluded that in the future, monitoring will also be extended to the western parts of Wrocław.

Dr. Chudy also hopes for support from students, for whom this is an excellent topic for preparing diploma theses and applying acquired knowledge in practice. Measurements and tests on both reservoirs have already been conducted by Maksymilian Zym, a graduate of geoinformatics, and currently a master's student in geodesy and cartography, presenting the results in his engineering thesis "Spatial Data Structure for Monitoring Selected Flood Protection Infrastructure – Water Gauge Points on Rivers" under the supervision of Dr. hab. Eng. Justyna Górniak-Zimroz, professor at the Department of Geodesy and Geoinformatics at W6.

"As scientists, we should also be mentors for young people, showing them certain solutions and suggesting ideas. However, it would be excellent if their actions, supported in this case by the involvement of the local community, brought real effects for the residents," he emphasizes.