Product Information

Salinity of groundwater can be a useful indicator for potential severity of land salinisation. Groundwater salinity by itself is a weak indicator of salinity risk since salt scalding on the surface is often produced by the evaporative concentration of very dilute groundwaters in many local flow systems in south-eastern Australia.

Groundwater salinity becomes important once the watertable nears or breaches two metres below ground surface because of the salinisation of the root zone and the exacerbation of damage to infrastructure.

It is important to monitor the groundwater salinity if the water is to be extracted for uses such as irrigation, salt interception schemes, potable drinking supplies etc., where water quality is an important issue.