dataset · Wales
Water Framework Directive (WFD) Groundwaterbodies Cycle 2
Water Framework Directive (WFD) Groundwaterbodies Cycle 2 (2014-2019) is a spatial (polygon) dataset which has been created for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Article 2, clause 2 of the WFD defines them as '…all water which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground or subsoil'. For the purposes of reporting under the WFD a groundwater body represent a distinct body of groundwater flow with a coherent flow unit incl
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Licence: ["This data is jointly owned by NRW and British Geological Society (BGS). There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.", "\u00a9 CNC/NRW Derived in
Evidence quality: 37.4
Listed in data.gov.uk public catalogue API on 2026-10-16; relevance/value screened (haiku).
Metadata checked: 2026-10-14T13:20:00.000Z
What's in it
- Data offered docs-verified
- groundwater body polygons (WFD Cycle 2) · aquifer type and catchment-unit boundaries
- Coverage docs-verified
- Wales (bounding box approx. 51.0 to 53.5 N, 1.6 to 5.9 W) · Cycle 2 (2014-2019)
- Resolution docs-verified
- Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy (CAMS) scale catchment units
- Update frequency docs-verified
- Not planned (static Cycle 2 dataset; page last updated 16 September 2026)
- Access docs-verified
- Free and open; no access restrictions (jointly owned by NRW and BGS). Licence: OGL v3.0 per site footer, not confirmed for this dataset
Useful for
- Use cases llm-inferred
- WFD groundwater body baseline for a Wales site screening or FRA/EIA groundwater section · Identifying which groundwater body a site or abstraction sits within for receptor assessment · Aquifer context for ground investigation and dewatering scoping
- Audience llm-inferred
- hydrogeologists · groundwater and environmental consultants · EIA and planning consultants · GIS analysts
Limitations
- Constraints llm-inferred
- No update planned, so the dataset is fixed to the Cycle 2 (2014-2019) reporting period · Later WFD cycles may supersede this data (not stated in DOCS) · DOCS describe polygon boundaries only; attribute fields, status classifications and file formats are not stated
Evidence
- https://datamap.gov.wales/layers/inspire-nrw:NRW_WFD_GROUNDWATER_C2
- https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/d5fcdebb-655c-496c-9d68-0d73c0ea588f/water-framework-directive-wfd-groundwaterbodies-cycle-224
Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.