IMPROVING SECURITY, QUALITY, AND RESILIENCE IN A COMMUNITY SPRING-FED WATER SUPPLY; CASE STUDY FROM BANKS PENINSULA, NEW ZEALAND

The world’s supply of groundwater is steadily decreasing, and rapidly growing global population poses an increasing demand on water sources. To better manage these resources, anthropogenic impacts need to be assessed and addressed within management strategies. Banks Peninsula, New Zealand, is reliant on spring systems as community water sources, but surprisingly little is known about these springs. As most of the Banks Peninsula land area is used for agricultural and residential purposes, these springs are essential resources to support demands for potable water. Expanding the currently limited understanding of Banks Peninsula’s springs is key to developing future management strategies for resilience. This study first maps in detail spring locations on a section of eastern Banks Peninsula, utilizing remote sensing as a means to increase the efficiency of spring mapping compared to traditional field methods. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index is used with infrared imagery to locate springs remotely, and limitations to this method are discussed. The study’s second phase involves a case study to investigate the current management of a water system for a typical Banks Peninsula community. This case study aims to establish protective measures improving the system’s security, quality, and resilience and to provide recommendations to the community and the local water management committee. Recommendations include increasing sustainability of current intake methods and security of water sources regarding potential impacts of livestock on water quality. Through better understanding of the physical principles and properties of springs within the region, better informed management of the recharge zones and catchments can be proposed and implemented through land use management practices and future development of resilient community water schemes.