Hydrogeologists from the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Silesia in Katowice are continuing fieldwork in Zgorzelec as part of the “CRossWATER: Transboundary groundwater management for a climate-resilient water supply in the European City of Görlitz-Zgorzelec” project, funded by the Interreg Poland–Saxony 2021–2027 programme.
Monthly water monitoring, carried out since December 2025, is gradually coming to an end – the final measurement campaign of the year-long observation cycle is scheduled for November 2026. Systematic measurements will make it possible to capture seasonal variations in hydrological and hydrogeological conditions and to gain a better understanding of the functioning of the cross-border groundwater system and its interactions with surface waters.
As part of the fieldwork, the researchers measure the physicochemical parameters of the water and collect water samples for further analysis. Groundwater levels and river discharge are also measured. Earlier work also included detailed geodetic surveys of monitoring points and the installation of staff gauges at infiltration ponds supplying the shallow aquifer in the area of the water intake in Zgorzelec.
The data collected during the year-long monitoring programme will provide an important basis for the next stages of the project. The results of the measurement campaign, conducted jointly by the Polish and German partners, are intended to improve understanding of the cross-border groundwater system and to identify parameters relevant to further modelling. The project also includes the modernisation of existing monitoring points and the establishment of new monitoring sites.
The monitoring data will be used in subsequent project activities, particularly in the development of a joint information system and a computer model of the cross-border groundwater system. The model will make it possible, among other things, to analyse processes occurring within the system and to assess the potential impacts of climate change on local water supply. Another stage of the project will involve assessing the risks posed by climate change to water quantity and quality, analysing potential deficits in the existing water supply systems, and developing proposals for adaptation measures.
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