Developing a groundwater monitoring system for Albemarle County, Virginia

In recent years, land development activities in rural parts of Albemarle County, Virginia have increased steadily. These activities have resulted in increased public concern for the condition of local groundwater resources. However, there is currently no representative monitoring system in place to track the availability of the county’s groundwater. Albemarle has a unique hydrogeology, characterized by a noncontiguous, fractured-bedrock aquifer and therefore requires a customized strategy to monitor the status of its groundwater supply and communicate the results to the public. In order to create a customized solution, the team analyzed survey results from groundwater experts, completed user testing of the current monitoring tool, continued work on the existing groundwater database, and created an initial framework for a groundwater monitoring system.