QUT

Tamborine Mountain residents have signed on to monitor groundwater levels and quality as part of a two-year Queensland University of Technology study into the sustainability of local groundwater resources.

Project leader Andrew Todd from QUT's Institute for Sustainable Resources said the study involved the monitoring of more than 50 bores and six stream sites throughout the 14 square kilometre plateau, to provide a valuable insight into the nature and condition of water resources.

"The Tamborine Mountain area is well populated but has no reticulated water supply or regional waste water management system," Mr Todd said.

"It is also dependent on groundwater reserves within the underlying basalt rocks for backup drinking water supply and horticulture, while
some groundwater is also commercially extracted for local and off-mountain supply."

He said understanding how the groundwater - surface water systems worked and the pressures imposed on it from residential, agricultural and commercial water use, was essential to ensuring long-term sustainability.

"Primarily this project will address issues around groundwater sustainability and contamination, which were raised by the local
community during the initial community engagement process," he said.

"The monitoring program is now well under way with landholder involvement in the collection of groundwater levels, rainfall and
surface stream flow data on a fortnightly to daily basis.

"QUT researchers are also sampling a selection of bores on a monthly basis for laboratory analysis of nutrients and faecal indicator
bacteria, and have installed autologgers down selected bores to continuously record bore water levels."

Mr Todd said QUT had trained local residents to monitor their own bore water levels and their assistance was invaluable.

"The response from the community has been great, and as a result there is a lot of good information being gathered about the geology and hydrology of the area that was not previously available," he said.

Mr Todd said the information would be used to develop a 3D visual model of the Tamborine Mountain groundwater resource, and this would provide a valuable resource to enable the community to understand and manage the mountain's water supplies.

He said while currently there was insufficient data to draw too many conclusions, recent drought conditions during 2009 did significantly
affect groundwater levels and stream flow in many areas.

"A project report will be available early in 2011, and community workshops will be held to communicate this information at that time,"
he said.

The project is commissioned by SEQ Catchments Ltd, the regional body for natural resource management, and funded by the Federal
Government's Caring for our Country Coast Care program.