"Arteser Aktionsprogramm" for sustainable deep groundwater resources management, example of the municipality of Grafendorf bei Hartberg

The department for Water Management, Resources and Sustainability of the Styrian Government, conducted the “Arteser Aktions­ programm” to decommission or redevelop old artesian drillings and / or wells. The activities should ideally lead to an increase in the water levels and flow rate in the redeveloped state of the art artesian wells. The regeneration of deep groundwater systems can primarily be proved in regions where as many wells as possible are profes­ sionally deconstructed or redeveloped. This is documented at the municipality of Grafendorf bei Hartberg, where observation data of the water level and flow rate are available and show impressive results: After the deconstruction of 59 artesian wells in Grafen­ dorf the water levels rose considerably and flow rates in the state of the art wells increased by a factor of 20. So the sustainable application of the “Arteser Aktionsprogramm” could be verified.