WFD Groundwater Bodies: 2022 Cycle 3 Classification (Simplified)

A polygon dataset defines distinct groundwater bodies (aquifers) for reporting under the EU Water Framework Directive. It provides attribution for the 2022 classification results, reflecting hydrogeological characteristics like flow, recharge, and pollution vulnerability. The geometry is simplified from a higher-resolution source for faster web mapping.

Use Cases

• Assessing groundwater status and trends based on 2022 WFD classification results.
• Mapping aquifer vulnerability to pollution using hydrogeological characteristics described in the data.
• Planning catchment-scale water abstraction strategies (CAMS) using defined groundwater flow units.
• Integrating simplified aquifer boundaries into regional environmental web mapping applications.

Strengths

• Classifications were verified by the British Geological Survey (BGS), indicating expert validation.
• Derived from authoritative base datasets including 1:625k Classified Aquifer Geology and Ordnance Survey data.
• Geometry is purposefully simplified for performance, with a noted full-resolution version available.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing or conflicting: one source lists a last update of 2026-04-07, while another shows none; row counts, column names, and license are unknown.
• The dataset is a simplified cartographic product, which may not be suitable for high-precision spatial analysis.
• Input completeness is medium, with sparse column information requiring inference from descriptions.

Provenance

Source

Environment Agency, derived from BGS geology maps and Ordnance Survey data.

Collection Method

Digitized from hard-copy 1:250k Solid Geology Map, classified by aquifer type, and simplified for web services.

Time Range

Classification results are for the 2022 reporting cycle (Cycle 3).

Freshness

2026-04-07 14:36:31.530161

Geography

Likely covers areas under the UK's WFD reporting obligations, defined at Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS) scale.