Wairau Aquifer

The Wairau Aquifer underlying the Northern Wairau Plain is the highest-yielding system in Marlborough due to a perennial source of recharge from the Wairau River, and the free-flowing nature of its gravels, which store lots of water.

Water is conveyed away from the Wairau River, at a rate of about 7,000 litres of water per second, in the area between the Waihopai River confluence and Wratts Road. This area benefits from a readily accessible and reliable source of aquifer water.

A close correlation exists between fluctuations in water levels in the Wairau River and wells in this area.