Groundwater Quality Restricted Use Zones (GQRUZ) are areas where there has been historic groundwater pollution as a result of previous industrial or other activities. These zones have been subject to clean up in line with the relevant environmental standards. However, restrictions remain on what the water can be used for if it is extracted via a groundwater bore.
A GQRUZ remains when attempts have been made to clean up the groundwater at the affected site, but full clean-up was not possible - as it is often difficult to remove 100 per cent of groundwater pollution. It also may be impractical to clean up groundwater to the level needed to restore it to its original condition. EPA then identifies restrictions that should remain on how the water can be used without further treatment.
GQRUZ do not represent a comprehensive list of all sites where groundwater quality may not be suitable for use. Rather, they represent locations where EPA has formally recognised that groundwater is polluted, following site investigations under EPA's environmental audit program. Other sources of information on groundwater quality include EPA's Priority Sites Register, which lists sites which are currently undergoing clean-up under EPA's compliance and enforcement activities.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the GQRUZ data published. EPA will not be held liable or responsible for any errors, or for any loss incurred from reliance on this data. Further information about a GQRUZ can be found in the audit report for the selected site.
This dataset mirrors the GQRUZ data available on EPA's website interaction portal, but may not be up to date due to data transfer processes. For the most up to date data, go to EPA's website interaction portal.