Utility of Water-Based Databases for Underground Water Management: Legal and System Perspective

Abstract

Groundwater is a strategic environmental resource due to its use to human consumption, and therefore requires special protection and monitoring in many databases. In Poland, groundwater data are included in different typical water-related databases such as Hydroportal, Portal of the State Hydrogeological Service and Portal of the Central Geological Database, which is linked to an integrated real estate information system (IREIS). This article aims to demonstrate how IREIS is used to manage groundwater in Poland. The analysis indicates that shortcomings and gaps are noticeable, e.g., duplication of data and significant lack of data necessary for the implementation of the legal instruments. It is therefore a priority to establish a harmonised permitting and sustainable management of resources by public authorities, supported by an appropriate information and resource system for the EU. There is a need for an increase in the amount of information in databases and a reduction in the number of databases with groundwater information. The results of the analysis of these information systems can provide guidance to other EU countries for more effective groundwater protection and management.

1. Introduction

Groundwater is considered a strategic environmental resource, as it is often used to supply drinking water. Therefore, groundwater plays an important role in ensuring water security, especially in regions with water deficits, such as Asian countries [1] or the Mediterranean region and central Europe. In nearly half of the EU countries, water resources are worryingly low (less than 3000 m³/person), which includes Poland, Malta, Cyprus and the Czech Republic, where they are below the water security level [2]. The reasons for this are overexploitation of these resources, pollution and climate change [3]. In the EU, the use of groundwater resources and space has increased over the last two decades, challenging Member States and requiring changes in national legislation to manage these waters effectively and prospectively, in line with the principle of sustainable development, and to adapt to a circular economy [4]. The transformation to a circular economy is now one of the EU’s policy focuses and demands the development of the three ‘pillars’ of this system. These include environmental advantages, cost savings from reduced demand on natural resources, including groundwater, and additional economic benefits by developing new markets [5,6]. The environment and people are often negatively affected by the use of groundwater and space. Therefore, they need to be comprehensively protected. In the EU, the legal protection of groundwater is governed by the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) [7]. According to Article 2(2) of the Directive, groundwater is considered to exist below the surface in the saturated zone and in direct connection with the ground or subsoil. The purpose of the directive is to provide a framework for the protection of groundwater. In addition, the directive promotes sustainable water use based on the long-term protection of available water resources and ensures the progressive reduction in groundwater pollution and the prevention of further pollution of these waters. This will ensure the availability of adequate supplies of good-quality groundwater, which is essential for sustainable and equitable water use (Article 1). In pursuit of this objective, it is therefore important to maintain a good groundwater status, defined as a quantitative and chemical status of at least “good” (Article 2(20)). It will then be possible to maintain the available groundwater resources, defined as the average annual rate of total groundwater recharge minus the annual rate of flow. This is necessary in order to achieve the ecological quality objectives set out in Article 4 for that body of groundwater. This will prevent significant deterioration in the ecological status of these waters and damage to associated terrestrial ecosystems. These environmental goals for groundwater are (1) to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants into groundwater and the deterioration of groundwater; (2) to protect, enhance and restore groundwater status by balancing abstractions and recharge in order to achieve good groundwater status in the first 15 years after the date that this directive comes into force; and (3) to take measures to prevent and reverse any substantial and sustained upward trend in the concentration of any anthropogenic pollutant in order to progressively limit groundwater pollution.

An important tool under Article 8 of the WFD is groundwater monitoring, which requires Member States to develop groundwater monitoring programmes for chemical and quantitative status. Particular attention should be paid to assessing the chemical status of groundwater bodies that experience significant anthropogenic pressures. The groundwater chemical status monitoring system provides two types of assessment: (1) control monitoring and (2) operational monitoring. The purpose of control monitoring is to complement and verify the impact assessment procedures and to inform us of pollutants discharged into water bodies as a result of anthropogenic operations. This type of monitoring is conducted in certain groundwater areas to check key parameters, i.e., oxygen content, pH, electrolytic conductivity, nitrates, and ammonia (Annex V). In addition, the operational monitoring will be established to determine (a) the chemical state of groundwater bodies classified as being at risk and (b) the long-term anthropogenic trend of increasing concentrations of pollutants [8]. Monitoring results are therefore used to determine the long-term anthropogenic trend in pollutant concentrations and to identify a point of emphasis for reversal of these trends [9].

Strategies for prevention and monitoring of groundwater pollution are also being development for the protection of groundwater (Article 17 of the WFD). In this context, the European Parliament and the Council will establish specific measures to protect and reduce groundwater pollution in order to achieve the objective of good groundwater chemical status. They provide the basis of criteria for identifying significant and sustained upward trends and for defining starting points for reversal of trends in accordance with Annex V. In the lack of such national criteria, the change in trends shall be based on a maximum of 75% of the level of the quality standards defined in current community legislation concerning groundwater. According to the 2019 EU Commission’s report, 74% of groundwater bodies have good chemical status, and 89% have good quantitative status. For groundwater in Poland, there was an increased trend in reaching good status from 3.7% to 7.8% [10].

The legislation on groundwater is complemented by Directive 2006/118/EC on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration (GWD). The directive lays down detailed procedures for the prevention and control of groundwater pollution in accordance with Article 17(1) and (2) of Directive 2000/60/EC [4]. These include, in particular, (a) criteria for determining good groundwater chemical status; and (b) criteria for the identification and reversal of substantial and sustainable upward trends and for the definition of starting points for trend reversals. This directive complements the provisions of the WFD to preventing or limiting the inputs of pollutants into groundwater and aims to avoid the deterioration of groundwater status (Article 1). The approach to groundwater as part of the water system has therefore changed, and this is reflected in the definition of ‘good status’ of groundwater, taking into account the fact that groundwater must not affect surface water to the extent that it cannot also achieve good status. In this way, the WFD and GWD address the issue of deterioration of the quality of water resources and the syndrome of disappearance of highly valuable aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems associated with the aquatic environment. Therefore, the modern approach to water management issues requires action over the entire catchment area or river basin [11]. As groundwater is often a potential supply of drinking water, it is also covered by Directive 2020/2184 [12]. The adoption of this directive was the result of the European Commission’s work in the frame of the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Right2Water’, which replaced Directive 98/83/EC. The purpose of this directive is to prevent the harmful effects on human health of any pollution of water intended for human consumption. This is to be achieved by ensuring that water is safe and clean and by improving the availability of drinking water for all. The directive sets basic quality standards for water used for human consumption. It requires Member States to carry out regular monitoring of the quality of water supplied for drinking. The method used is that of random sampling. In addition, a report on the quality of drinking water must be submitted to the Commission at three-year intervals. The revised directive updates the current safety requirements and facilitates the availability of safe drinking water in line with the latest World Health Organisation recommendations [13].

As required by the WFD, a European Water Information System (WISE) has been established in the EU to collect and disseminate environmental data on water policy. This requirement relates to public’s access to information on the state of the water environment, its changes and the risks associated with water surpluses or shortages. WISE is also a tool to make more effective use of existing information, in particular to support the effective implementation of community legislation and to provide the basis for integrated management of water resources, including groundwaters [14]. The analysed information system should be implemented by EU member states, including Poland, in order to protect groundwater more effectively. In this way, it assumes responsibility for the appropriate management of such strategic water resources.

In Poland, the 2017 Water Act (WL) implements the provisions of the analysed directives [15]. This act regulates the management of water in accordance with sustainable development principle, in terms of the development and conservation of water resources, as well as the exploitation and control of water resources (Article 1). According to Article 10 of the WL, the management of water resources serves not only to satisfy the demands of the population and the business community, but also to protect water and the environment associated with these resources from pollution and inappropriate or excessive use. It also includes maintaining or improving the status of water and water-dependent ecosystems. The main legal instruments are water management planning, water permits, monitoring system and information systems. These legal instruments are described in the Water Law. Water-related databases include Hydroportal, Portal of the State Hydrogeological Service, Portal of the Central Geological Database (CBDG). These databases are maintained by different bodies, and their content depends on the legislation and the activities of these bodies. Access to these databases is open to users, but some of the data are only available on request. Not all the information contained in these databases is regularly updated, and some of it is archived. In addition, it is possible to download data from some of these databases that can be opened in geodetic programmes. The system of water databases is therefore partly linked to geological databases, which, in turn, are essential for real estate management. In Poland, there is an Integrated Real Estate Information System (IREIS) based on the Inspire Directive No. 2007/2/EC [16]. The purpose of this system is to increase the efficiency of the work of bodies in in charge of real estate registers and to improve the level of service to citizens and businesses in relation to the acquisition of real estate information. IREIS is the Polish property management system that makes property management easier and more automated. In the literature, some publications examine the possibilities of using IREIS for the purposes of agricultural land management [17] or forestry [18]. This work has shown that land information systems can be useful in the management of forest land and that public administrations can use these systems to dispose of agricultural land.

The innovation of this research is to present the possibilities and utility of using IREIS for groundwater management. On the other hand, the identification of gaps and shortcomings in the IT system for the management and protection of these waters is an added value of this article and can be a guide for legislative and organisational changes aimed at increasing the efficiency of this system. According to the authors, the new solutions can be used in many aspects of property, land or water management. The paper shows what changes need to be made for IREIS to be used more widely. The primary aim of the study is to demonstrate the usefulness of IREIS for groundwater management in Poland. The research assumed that the organization and availability of data in this information system contribute to more effective management and protection of groundwater. The motivation for the research undertaken is the difficulty in using information databases in this area due to the multitude of data and the lack of order and required additions not only by scientists, but also by public administration bodies and business entities. The present study, due to its interdisciplinary nature (legal and geo-institutional sciences), can contribute to enriching the literature in the above-mentioned research areas, and can also be useful for the practical use of the bases for administrative bodies in the field of water management and protection, land use planning, and property law (administrative and civil law).

2. Materials and Methods

The study was carried out in several stages, starting with an analysis of groundwater protection and management in Poland. In this part, the legal regulations related to groundwater protection in Poland and the authorities and their tasks related to groundwater protection were discussed. The analysis focused on legislation and documents on groundwater in the EU and Poland. For the aim of this article, the following data have been analysed: Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC [4]; Directive 2006/118/EC 2000/60/EC [19] on the prevention and protection against groundwater pollution; Directive 2020/2184 of 16 December 2020 [9] on the quality of water for drinking; Reports and Communications of the European Commission COM (2015)614/2, COM (2019) 95 final, SWD (2019) 53 final; and Water Law of 2017 and its regulations of 2017 and 2019. An analysis was also made of the literature in this field. In the next step, the genesis of the Integrated Property Information System and the catalogue of information that can be found in this system were presented. Next, the authors described the information systems in which groundwater information is published. The legal and dogmatic method has been in use at these stages.

In the final stage of the research, the authors indicated what information contained in groundwater disclosure systems is also available in IREIS (here represented by Geoportal) and whether this system is adequate to provide groundwater information for managing groundwater t. The utility of the databases containing sub-basin information was compared, and then the utility of all the systems examined was assessed. To determine the utility of the databases, a 4-point Likert scale was used with the following utility ranks: 1–25%, 26–50%, 51–75%, 76–100%. Ranks were assigned from 1 to 4, with 1 representing low utility and 4 representing high utility. By using a 4-point Likert scale, it forces an indication of the extent to which the system is useful or not. The 4-point scale has no neutral option, and therefore, neutral utility cannot be determined. When discussing the usefulness of the systems, the authors mean usefulness in terms of the ability to use the contents of the databases for groundwater management (Figure 1).

The research was carried out in databases maintained for the territory of Poland. These databases are open to the public. Figure 2 shows the appearance of each database.

Conducting studies on the usefulness of information systems for groundwater management is particularly important in a situation where access to groundwater is sometimes difficult. It should be remembered that groundwater is the main source of drinking water. It is therefore necessary for managers to have information on the location, status and quality of groundwater. This will allow them to take the necessary measures to ensure that drinking water is available. The study was therefore structured to first identify the information needs in groundwater management. The procedures in which the information is needed were identified. It then identified whether this information was available in different databases. There are many databases containing groundwater information, so the study identified not only IREIS but also other databases. Finally, the authors determined which of the databases surveyed were the most useful for groundwater management. The study was structured in such a way as to first identify the need for information and then identify where this information could be found. By structuring the study in this way, it was possible to show whether the databases were useful or not.

3. Research

3.1. Legal Analysis of Groundwater Protection and Management in Poland

3.1.1. Legal Principles of Groundwater Management and Protection

The 2017 Water Law regulates the management of groundwater, in terms of the development and conservation of water resources, the exploitation of water and the management of water resources. The act regulates the rights of ownership of water and land covered by water, as well as the principles of management of these elements as property of the State Treasury (Article 2). According to Article 16(68), groundwater is all water under the surface of the ground in the saturated zone, including that in immediate proximity to the ground or subsoil. For water management, including water management planning, waters are divided into units called groundwater bodies. This is the specified volume of groundwater occurring within an aquifer or set of aquifers (Article 16(19)). Aquifer means layered or unstratified rock formations that are permeable to and saturated with water and have sufficient porosity and permeability to allow significant flows or abstraction of significant volumes of groundwater (Article 16(66)).

The management of groundwater has to take into account the following principles (Article 3 WL):

-

Rational and holistic management of water and groundwater resources, considering quantity and quality;

-

Collaboration to maximise social benefits between public administration, water users and local community representatives;

-

Preventing, in accordance with the public interests, any preventable deterioration of the ecological functions of water and of water-dependent terrestrial ecosystems.

The objective of water resources management is to satisfy the demands of the population and the business community and to preserve the waters and the environment connected with those resources, in particular with a view to (a) ensure sufficient quantity and quality of water for the populations; (b) protect water resources from becoming polluted and inappropriate or in excess; and (c) maintain or improve the status of water and water-dependent ecosystems (Article 10 WL). Water use must not cause deterioration of the status of water and water-based ecosystems, and in particular must not contravene the provisions of the River Basin Management Plan, waste water or water energy, or cause damage (Article 29 WL). Groundwater is primarily a source of water for drinking (Article 30 WL). Water destined for human consumption is (a) water in its initial state or after treatment, for drinking, food preparation or other household uses, regardless of its source and whether it is distributed from a network, cisterns, bottles or reservoirs, and (b) water used by a production unit of the food industry for the production, preparation, conservation, or distribution of products or substances destined for human consumption (Art. 16, para. 70 WL). These tasks are performed as water services. According to Article 35 of the WL, water supplies include the provision of water to households, public facilities and companies as well as the abstraction, storage, detention and use of groundwater, and the treatment and distribution of groundwater.

In order to ensure the supply of water for drinking, it is important that groundwater availability is closely linked to the maintenance of good groundwater status. Groundwater availability is the groundwater resource calculated as the annual long-term average of the total groundwater discharge of a given groundwater body minus the annual average of the water flows necessary to achieve the environmental purposes for the surface water bodies connected to that groundwater body. The basic data for their determination are the available groundwater resources determined in the balance units within the hydrogeological documentation or the prospective resources estimated on the basis of hydrological methods [20]. Where groundwater is used, no significant deterioration in the ecological condition of these surface waters and no damage of the terrestrial ecosystems dependent on groundwater shall be permitted (Article 16(14) WL). Groundwater status is determined by assessing the quantitative and chemical status of these waters (Art. 16(53) WL). Good groundwater status means a condition in which the quantitative and chemical status of the groundwater are at least good (Art. 16(11) WL) (

Table 1. Groundwater assessment under Article 53 of the WL and the 2019 Regulation on criteria and method for groundwater status assessment [21].

Requirements	Evaluation Parameters
- groundwater protection	- environmental goals
- aquatic environmental processes	- measurement and test results
- the effects and interactions of groundwater on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems dependent on these waters; - disturbance of legitimate groundwater uses or functions; - hydrogeological conditions; - the pollutant origin toxicity, dispersal capacity, and their bioaccumulation; - human toxicology and ecotoxicology	- pollutants that cause groundwater bodies to be at risk; - information on water balance and levels of natural hydrogeochemical background, including situations where the concentrations of physicochemical elements differ slightly from natural conditions
- groundwater monitoring	- quantitative and chemical status
- criteria and methodology for the assessment of the groundwater status	- classification of physico-chemical elements; - a definition for classifying the quantitative and chemical status; - a method for interpreting the results of physico-chemical and quantitative element tests; - the method of presenting their status; - the frequency with which its status is to be assessed; - threshold values, which are environmental quality standards in order to protect the environment and human health, should not be exceeded
Groundwater quality classes - Class I—Very good - Class II—Good - Class III—Satisfactory - Class IV—Unsatisfactory - Class V—Poor	the values of the physicochemical elements: - are formed exclusively by natural processes and do not indicate the impact of human activity; - are elevated as a result of natural processes, and do not indicate the impact of human activity or the influence is minimal - are elevated as a result of natural processes, or minimal human influence; - are elevated as a result of natural processes and clearly indicative of human impact; - indicate a significant influence of human activity

).

Table 1 shows that the groundwater assessment system includes general requirements for groundwater protection, a description of the status of resources and hydrogeological conditions, natural processes and the impact of anthropogenic pollution, an assessment of the quantitative and chemical status of these waters based on monitoring, and five water quality classes.

The objective of groundwater conservation is the achievement of environmental objectives for groundwater. Water protection is to be achieved in particular by taking account of the results of groundwater assessments including the quantitative or the chemical status of these waters (Article 52). In pursuing this objective, it is essential to guarantee that, where necessary, the waters are suitable for supplying the population with water for drinking (Article 51). According to Article 70 of the WFD, the protection of waters intended for the supply of water for drinking and for establishments requiring high-quality water is aimed at preventing deterioration in the quality of these waters, in particular by minimizing the need for treatment. These waters are subject to the requirements of the above-mentioned environmental objectives and the requirements of the 2001 Act on Collective Water Supply [22]. Waters intended for abstraction for the supply of water to the population drinking include (1) water bodies abstracting water supplied for drinking, which provide an average of more than 10 m³ of water per day or serve more than 50 people; (2) water bodies that are planned for such purposes in the future; (3) water bodies used for commercial activities or public buildings (Article 72).

In order to protect water intakes, to ensure adequate quality of water extracted to serve the population with water for drinking and to supply facilities that require high-quality water, and to protect water resources, water-intake protection zones are established (Article 120 WL), in which regulations, prohibitions and restrictions on land and water use apply (

Table 2. Rules for use in water intake protection zones under Articles 127–131 of the WL.

Direct Protection Zone

Intermediate Protection Zone

- an absolute prohibition on the use of the land for purposes unrelated to the exploitation of the water intake; - dispose of rainwater or snowmelt outside the water intake area; - develop the area with greenery; - discharge waste water from sanitary facilities outside the boundaries of the immediate protection zone; - restrict the presence of persons not employed to the minimum necessary; - be fenced and its boundaries through surface water be marked by permanent standing or floating signs; - the board indicated a protection zone and prohibition of unauthorized persons, as well as the destruction, damage or relocation of these signs and billboards

- prohibition of work or activity which reduce the usefulness of the water abstracted; - discharge waste water into watercourses or the soil; - use waste water for agricultural purposes; - store or dispose of radioactive waste; - apply fertilisers and pesticides; - construct new roads, railways, airports or runways; - locate industrial plants and animal farms; - locate storage facilities for petroleum products, and locate landfill sites for hazardous, non-hazardous, non-inert and inert waste; - wash motor vehicles; - establish car parks, camping sites and bathing areas; - locate cemeteries and bury dead animals; - extract minerals; - carry out construction or mining drainage work; - locate dwellings and tourism-related buildings; - use aircraft to carry out agricultural work; - remove stone, gravel, sand and cut plants from the water or shore; - use diesel-powered boats; - store fertiliser and pesticide packaging; - use appropriate agricultural or forestry practices

). The protected area comprises (1) an exclusively immediate protection zone or (2) an immediate and an indirect protection zone. A protection zone consisting only of an immediate protection area must be determined for each water abstraction, and an indirect protection area for a groundwater abstraction must cover the area of the water abstraction recharge (Articles 121 and 122 WL). The indirect protection area of a groundwater abstraction point is established on the basis of the findings of the hydrogeological documentation of the abstraction point. Where the water flow time from the recharge area boundary to the water abstraction point is more than 25 years, the area of indirect protection of the groundwater abstraction point shall be determined by considering the area bounded by the 25-year water exchange time in the aquifer (Article 123 WL). An intermediate protection zone shall also be established from a risk analysis, which includes a health risk assessment. This analysis includes the negative impact on the quality of the water intake, based on hydrogeological or hydrological analyses and hydrogeological or hydrological documentation, an analysis of the identified sources of risk resulting from land use and the findings of a study of the quality of the water intake [23]. The need to conduct a risk analysis for establishing a protected zone, including an indirect protection zone, arises from Article 133(5) of the WL and applies to water intakes used for the collective supply of the population with a capacity of more than 10 m³/d or supplying more than 50 people [24].

Table 2 shows the prohibitions, bans and limitations on water and land use in the water catchment areas. In general, in the direct protection zone, only activities relating to the use of the water intake are allowed, and in the indirect protection zone, all activities that may deteriorate the quality of the water intake and are mainly related to anthropogenic activities are prohibited.

3.1.2. Legal Instruments and Bodies for the Management of Groundwater

Instruments for water management comprise (1) water management planning; (2) water consents; (3) control of water management and (4) water management information systems (Art. 11 WL) (

Table 3. Instruments for the management of groundwater in accordance with the WL.

Management Instruments	Scope
Planning in water management (Art. 318 WL)	- A l description of the features of the river basin area, indicating list of groundwater bodies with the identification of significant anthropogenic assessment of their impact of these pressures on groundwater status; - assessing point sources of pollution; - an assessment of the impact on quantitative water status; - analysis of other anthropogenic water impacts; - a map of the monitoring network with the monitoring programmes; - setting environmental targets for water bodies for water bodies; - summarising the economic analyses carried out a summary of the results of economic analyses; - a summary of environmental performance measures for human consumption;
Water consents (Art. 34 and 389 WL)	- a water permit for the extraction of more than 5 m3/d of groundwaters; - a water permit for water transfers, artificial groundwater recharge and long-term lowering of groundwater levels
Control of water management (Art. 334 WL)	Check includes the following: - using and protecting water; - operation of water facilities; - maintenance of water and water facilities; - compliance with conditions in protection zones; - the quality of water for drinking
Water management information system (Art. 329 WL)	The Water Management Information System collects the following information on water management: - hydrographic network; - hydrological and meteorological gauging stations; - the demarcation of river basins, river catchment areas and water regions; - groundwater quantity and quality, including their availability, the location and the monitoring and research network; - the volume of groundwater abstractions and discharges of waste water into water or onto the land; - location and characteristics of point and area sources; - river basin management plans

).

Table 3 shows the basic groundwater management tools. The first of these is water management planning, which includes the register of water resources, sources of pollution indicating the anthropogenic impact on these water resources, and environmental objectives, in particular for waters that are intended to be exploited for the supply of water for drinking. Moreover, water permits, in this case, have a rationing and protection function, especially with regard to groundwater abstraction [25] and activities related to the regulation of the level of these waters. Another legal instrument is the control of water management, which covers the quantitative and qualitative status of groundwater, especially that abstracted for drinking purposes. These tasks are carried out as part of the control of compliance with environmental regulations and the study and assessing of the environment state, in line with the principles set out in the 1991 Environmental Protection Inspection Act [26,27]. An important instrument of water resources management is also the information system of the water management, which is maintained in the ICT system (Art. 329 WL) for the area of the state, considering the classification into river basins and water regions (Art. 330 WL). It should be noted that the introduction and disposal of data within the aforementioned water management information system, taking into account the division of the state into river basin districts and water regions, is of vital importance for the proper water management [28]. Pursuant to Article 133 of the WL, the data sources for the water management information system are registers and data sets, the results of the evaluation of the quantitative and chemical status of groundwater and the state environmental monitoring with regard to hydrogeological conditions, and the assessment of the size of groundwater resources and the chemical and quantitative status of groundwaters. The above instruments should be considered together. For groundwater management projects for which water abstraction permits have been issued, as well as water quality monitoring, data should be collected during the planning process [29]. In Poland, the information system includes the Hydroportal as a node of the National Spatial Information Infrastructure and a central access point to services (Article 332) regulated by the 2010 Spatial Information Infrastructure Act [30] and other water management information. Searching for information, making copies of documents and uploading them is in accordance with the provisions of the 2008 Act on Information on the Environment and its Protection, Public Participation in Environmental Protection and Environmental Impact Assessment [31].

Water management authorities, i.e., the Water Authority, consist of: (1) the Minister of Water; (2) the Minister of Inland Navigation; (3) the President of the Polish Water Authority; (4) the Director of the Regional Water Management Board of the Polish Water Authority; (5) the Director of the Basin Management Board of the Polish Water Authority; (6) the Head of the Water Inspectorate of the Polish Water Authority; (7) the Director of the Maritime Office; (8) the Provincial Governor; (9) the District Governor; and (10) the Mayor of a village, town or city (Article 14 WL). On the basis of this catalogue, it can be concluded that the most important unit managing water resources is the State Water Management Company Wody Polskie, together with the bodies that make up its structure. Each of these bodies has specific responsibilities for groundwater management (Art. 240 WL) (

Table 4. Competence of the authorities Polish Waters on the basis of Art. 240 WL.

The Authority Polish Waters	Scope of Responsibilities
National Water Management Authority	- development of draft River Basin Management Plans; - operating the Water Management Information System and providing access to spatial data sets; - establishing and maintaining the Hydroportal and a central access point; - sustainable water management implementation provides financial and in-kind support to local self-government units to ensure the possibility of using water resources for drinking; - Providing sufficient quantity and quality of water; - controlling water management.
Regional Water Management Authorities	- handle water rights permit issues; - controlling water management; - implementing measures to achieve sustainable water management; - collecting, processing, exchanging and communicating information for spatial planning purposes; - activities aimed at quantitative and qualitative groundwater balance; - measures to ensure the regulations of water in sufficient quantity and quality for drinking; - maintaining an information system on water management; - giving an opinion on multiannual development and modernisation plans and sanitation facilities.
Catchment Boards	- addressing issues related to water rights licensing; - co-implementing measures to achieve sustainable water management.
Water surveillance	- handling cases concerning water law notifications; - receiving applications for water permits; - participating in activities aimed at sustainable water management in river basins; - maintenance and operation of water facilities owned by the National Treasury.

). The President of the Polish Water is the central authority of this entity, while the other agencies have the status of local municipalities [32].

3.2. Sources of Information on Land and Water

3.2.1. The IREIS Information System

Land administration systems are integrated land management systems designed to facilitate land policy. Theoretical construction and evaluation of Land Administration Systems (LAS) was developed by the FIG [33,34], Kaufmann and Steudler [35], UNECE [36,37,38], Williamson [39]. The system is designed to support property management [40]. A well-designed and implemented LAS should lead to sustainable property management [39,41,42]. The property information collected is applicable to four sectors:

• Land tenure (e.g., registration of land rights);
• Land value (e.g., property valuation, taxation);
• Land use (e.g., town and country planning);
• Land development (e.g., change of land use).

The LAS should combine both technical and legal data. These data are organised from local to national level. The information infrastructure is essential for land management tasks. In Poland, the introduction of the LAS was initiated by the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 17 January 2013 on an Integrated Real Estate Information System [43].

On 15 May 2007, Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE), hereinafter referred to as the INSPIRE Directive, entered into force. Poland, as a member state of the European Union, had to transpose this act into its legal system, which it did by adopting the Act of 4 March 2007 on the Infrastructure for Spatial Information. The INSPIRE Directive requires that “The infrastructures for spatial information in the Member States should be designed to ensure that spatial data are stored, made available and maintained at the most appropriate level; that it is possible to combine spatial data from different sources across the Community in a consistent way and share them between several users and applications; that it is possible for spatial data collected at one level of public authority to be shared between other public authorities; that spatial data are made available under conditions which do not unduly restrict their extensive use; that it is easy to discover available spatial data, to evaluate their suitability for the purpose and to know the conditions applicable to their use.” Member States were therefore required to establish a spatial information system containing at least the information specified in the Annexes to the Directive.

Table 5. Information content of the annexes to the INSPIRE Directive.

Annex	Information content of the annexes
Annex I	Coordinate reference systems
	Geographical grid systems
	Geographical names
	Administrative units
	Addresses
	Cadastral parcels
	Transport networks
	Hydrography
	Protected sites
Annex II	Elevation
	Land cover
	Orthoimagery
	Geology
Annex III	Statistical units
	Buildings
	Soil
	Land use
	Human health and safety
	Utility and governmental services
	Environmental monitoring facilities
	Production and industrial facilities
	Agricultural and aquaculture facilities
	Population distribution—demography
	Area management/restriction/regulation zones and reporting units
	Natural risk zones
	Atmospheric conditions
	Meteorological geographical features
	Oceanographic geographical features
	Sea regions
	Bio-geographical regions
	Habitats and biotopes
	Species distribution
	Energy resources
	Mineral resources

Source: own elaboration based on INSPIRE Directive.

lists the data to be included in the national spatial information system.

Poland, as mentioned previously, had to transpose the provisions of this Directive into its legal system and did so by adopting the Spatial Information Infrastructure Act. Article 9 Section 1 requires public registers containing spatial data themes to establish and operate a network of services for spatial data sets and services within their sphere of competence. These services include: searching, viewing, downloading, transforming and launching, and shall be generally available by electronic means. The data shall be accessible through the Geoportal of the Spatial Information Infrastructure.

The Geodetic and Cartographic Law requires the Chief Geodesist of the country to create and maintain an Integrated Real Estate Information System (IREIS). IREIS is intended to ensure the exchange of data between the Land and Building Registry and the Land and Building Register, the State Register of Boundaries and Areas of Territorial Subdivisions of the Country, the National Official Register of Territorial Subdivisions, the National Official Register of National Economic Entities, the National System of Producers’ Registers, the Register of Agricultural Holdings and the Register of Payment Applications, to the extent necessary for the maintenance of these public registers, as well as the transmission, in the form of electronic documents, of notifications of data changes made in individual public registers that are relevant to other public registers included in the Integrated Real Estate Information System. IREIS is a multifunctional register, accessible to public administrations and, to a limited extent, to private entities. The following registers have been harmonised in the IREIS: The Real Estate Cadastre, Land and Mortgage Register, Tax Records, National Register of Borders—PRG, National Official Register of the Territorial Division of the Country—TERYT, GEOPORTAL, Population Register—PESEL, National Official Business Register—REGON, National Register of Agricultural Producers, Farms and Applications for Payment—KSEP, Land Use Plans, Notary System, Central Register of Heritage Monuments—CBDoZ, Central Register of Nature Conservation Sites—CRFOP, Register of Places, Streets and Addresses—EMUiA and the Register of Prices and Values of Real Estate—RCiWN (

Table 6. Key information contained in the databases.

Databases	Responsible Authority	Examples of Information
The Real Estate Cadastre	Starost (county level)	Numerical and descriptive data on land, buildings and premises; data on the owners of the property and the dates determining the acquisition and loss of this right.
Land and Mortgage Register	Land and Mortgage Register Court	The description of the real estate and the registration of the rights relating to its ownership; the details of the owner and the perpetual usufructuary; limited rights in rem, (the registration of restrictions on the disposal of the real estate and the registration of other rights and claims.
Tax Records	National Tax Administration	Detailed personal data of taxpayers, including NIP, PESEL, KRS, REGON, subject of taxation.
National Register of Borders	Surveyor General of Poland	State boundaries, the boundaries of territorial subdivisions of the country, including in particular the subdivision of the country for the needs of the land and buildings cadastre, the area of the maritime areas of the Republic of Poland and the area of the subdivisions of the country for the purposes of the cadastre; addresses and their location.
National Official Register of the Territorial Division of the Country	National Official Business Register	Identifiers and names of territorial subdivisions, identifiers and names of places, statistical regions and census districts, address identification of streets, plots of land, buildings and dwellings.
GEOPORTAL	Surveyor General of Poland	Cadastral Data, General Geographical Database, Topographical Objects Database, Orthophotos, Topographic Map Raster, Thematic Map Raster, State Register of Borders, State Register of Geographic Names, Numerical Terrain Model, Metadata of Spatial Data Sets and Services.
Population Register	Mayor (city level)	Personal data; parents’ data; date of birth; place of birth; country of birth; marital status; sex; PESEL number; nationality; spouse’s name and surname and PESEL number, if assigned; date of marriage, date of dissolution of marriage, date of spouse’s death; address and date of permanent residence; country of residence; series, number and expiry date of the latest identity card issued to the Polish citizen and indication of the authority which issued the document; series, number and expiry date of the latest passport issued to the Polish citizen; date of death.
National Official Business Register	National Official Business Register	Name and address of the registered office, surname, forenames and place of residence PESEL No; tax identification number (NIP); legal form of activity; dates of establishment, commencement, suspension and resumption of activity, decisions on bankruptcy proceedings; in the case of agricultural holdings, the total and utilised agricultural area; telephone and fax numbers of the registered office, e-mail address and website, if the entity has them and they are entered in the Register of Entities.
National Register of Agricultural Producers, Farms and Applications for Payment	National Register of Agricultural Producers, Farms and Applications for Payment	Name and surname or name of the producer, numbers: PESEL, NIP, REGON; the producer’s bank account number; data relating to the area of the agricultural holding, indicating the identifiers and the area of the agricultural parcels on which the agricultural parcels are located; data enabling the identification of the agricultural parcels included in the agricultural holding.
Land Use Plans	Mayor (city level)	Land use and the lines demarcating areas with different uses or development principles.
Notary System	-	-
Central Register of Heritage Monuments	Voivede/General Conservator of Monuments	Register number; entry in the register; object of protection; scope of protection; location or site of the monument; cadastral number—for real estate and archaeological monuments; owner of the monument; possessor of the monument; removal from the register.
Central Register of Nature Conservation Sites	Director of the national park, voivodeship council, commune council, Regional Director of Environmental Protection, General Director of Environmental Protection	The designation of the nature reserve; the name of the nature reserve; the date of its creation, establishment or designation; a textual description of the boundary of the nature reserve and, in the case of a natural monument, a textual description of its location; the name of the supervisor of the nature reserve.
Register of Places, Streets and Addresses	Mayor (city level)	Official names of the settlements and their types; TERYT identifiers of the settlements; data defining the course of the settlements’ boundaries; X, Y coordinates of the settlements; names of the units of the basic three-level territorial division of the state within whose boundaries the settlement is located and their TERYT identifiers. Data on streets and squares; addresses of buildings.
Register of Prices and Values of Real Estate	Starost (county level)	The address of the location of the property; the numbers of the registered parcels included in the property; the type of property; the area of the landed property; the date of the notarial deed or the determination of the value; other available data on the property and its components.

).

The Geoportal also contains data from other institutions, including the Polish Geological Institute (landslides and areas threatened by mass movements; floods; deposits, mining areas and sites (MIDAS); prognostic and prospective areas; wells; hydrogeological wells; detailed geological map PigSMG; hydrology—groundwater monitoring; caves; major groundwater reservoirs and the State Water Management Office (water management: transitional surface water bodies, fluvial surface water bodies, lacustrine surface water bodies, groundwater bodies, coastal surface water bodies, areas sensitive to eutrophication caused by pollution from urban sources, i.e., the enrichment of waters with nutrients, particularly nitrogen or phosphorus compounds, which leads to accelerated growth of algae and higher forms of plant life, resulting in an undesirable disturbance of biological relationships in the aquatic environment and a deterioration of the quality of these waters, sub-units of river basin districts, river basin districts, marine reporting areas, water bodies intended for the abstraction of water for human consumption, areas intended for the protection of habitats or species, as referred to in the provisions of the Act of 16 April 2004 on nature protection, for which the maintenance or improvement of the status of the waters is an important factor in their protection, and water bodies intended for recreational purposes, including bathing); flood hazard maps—seaward flood hazard maps, river flood hazard maps; preliminary flood risk assessments—seaward flood risk areas, river flood risk areas, dam damage).

When analysing Table 6, it can be seen that some data are repeated, e.g., ownership data. The occurrence of data in different registers can be both a positive and a negative phenomenon. Thanks to the presence of data in many registers, it is possible to search for objects in many databases. Unfortunately, if these data change, it will lead to a change in the registers in which the data appeared. The harmonisation and integration of public registers has made it possible to transfer data between these registers, but to achieve this goal it was necessary to harmonise the way in which data are stored and made available.

The Central Office of Geodesy and Cartography has identified stakeholders in the IREIS, and these include the following:

• Public administration;
• Revenue administration;
• Bailiffs;
• Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture;
• Banks;
• Central Anticorruption Bureau, Internal Security Agency;
• Citizens;
• Entrepreneurs;
• Municipalities;
• Central Statistical Office;
• Units subordinate to the Minister of the Environment;
• State Forest Enterprise;
• Minister of the Treasury;
• Notaries;
• Units subordinate to the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

3.2.2. Water Databases Hydroportal and Others

Hydroportal

Pursuant to Article 240(2.12) of the WL, the National Water Management Authority is responsible for the management of Polish Waters, including the construction and maintenance of the Hydroportal and the Central Access Point. Moreover, “Wody Polskie shall maintain the Hydroportal as a node of the National Spatial Information Infrastructure and a central access point to the services referred to in Article 9 of the Act of 4 March 2010 on the Spatial Information Infrastructure and other water management information” (Art. 332 WL). This system is available for consultation free of charge. The Hydroportal is “a public map portal that collects information for the territory of Poland related to water management in the broadest sense, including the issue of flood risk, the hydrographic network, water facilities and structures or water management plans, where we can find information on surface and groundwater bodies”. Recipients of this portal can be as follows:

• Citizens;
• Representatives of authorities;
• Representatives of scientific institutions;
• Institutions responsible under the Crisis Management Act for preventing crises, preparing to take control of them through planned actions and responding in case of their occurrence;
• Planning offices;
• Non-governmental organisations;
• Commercial companies implementing hydrological and environmental projects.

The data contained in the Hydroportal have been grouped into thematic modules: preliminary flood risk assessment, flood hazard maps, flood risk maps, water management plans, flood risk management plans, national urban wastewater treatment programme, water management information system, flood hazard maps and flood risk maps in pdf format (

Table 7. Content of the Hydroportal.

Thematic Modules	Content of the Thematic Module
Preliminary flood risk assessment	Boundaries of the units of the Polish Water Management Authority; parcels of land; map of the hydrographic division of Poland (lakes, watercourses, junctions with major watercourses, junctions with watersheds, seas and bays, basins, watersheds); historical floods, probable floods, floodplains; areas at risk of flooding—seaward; areas at risk of flooding—fluvial; areas at risk of flooding—pollution of dams.
Flood hazard maps	Boundaries of the units of the Polish Water Management Authority; parcels of land; map of the hydrographic division of Poland; flood hazard maps with water depth; flood hazard maps with water velocity; destruction of or damage to dams; complete destruction of a dike; complete destruction of a dike; areas at high risk of flooding.
Flood risk maps	Boundaries of the units of the Polish Water Management Authority; parcels of land; map of the hydrographic division of Poland; maximum water levels; flood risk maps—potential adverse effects on human life and health and values of potential flood damage; flood risk maps—total destruction of a flood barrier and total destruction of a storm surge barrier and destruction or damage to a dam—potential adverse effects on the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity; flood risk maps—total destruction of a levee and total destruction of a flood barrier and destruction of or damage to a dam—potential adverse impacts on human life and health and values of potential flood damages; areas at particular risk of flooding.
Water management plans	Boundaries of the units of the Polish Water Management Authority; parcels of land; map of the hydrographic division of Poland; (water management plans).
Flood risk management plans	Boundaries of the units of the Polish Water Management Authority; parcels of land; map of the hydrographic division of Poland; (flood risk management plans)
National Urban Wastewater Treatment Programme	Boundaries of the units of the Polish Water Management Authority; parcels of land; map of the hydrographic division of Poland; (national programme for urban waste water treatment (discharge points, treatment plants, agglomerations).
Water management information system	Boundaries of the units of the Polish Water Management Authority; parcels of land; map of the hydrographic division of Poland; water utilities; impoundments (weirs, dams); water works (power stations and mills, bridges and footbridges); bathing waters; surface waters (surface water quality monitoring sites, surface water level monitoring sites, ponds, artificial reservoirs); sewage discharges.
Flood hazard maps and flood risk maps in pdf format	Boundaries of the units of the Polish Water Management Authority; parcels of land; map of the hydrographic division of Poland; (index of flood hazard maps and flood risk maps; index of archive flood hazard maps and flood risk maps; areas of special flood hazard.

Source: own elaboration based on https://isok.gov.pl/hydroportal.html, accessed on 16 May 2024.

).

Other Databases

The Polish Geological Institute National Research Institute, on the basis of Article 380(2,3d) of the WL, maintains databases containing: information on hydrogeological conditions, volume of resources, chemical and quantitative status of groundwater. The following databases can be found on the website of the Polish Geological Institute National Research Institute (

Table 8. Databases Polish Geological Institute National Research Institute.

Database	Location of Disclosure	Scope of the Database
Groundwater Monitoring Database	GeoLog, e-PSH	The monitoring point; its surroundings; selected parameters of the aquifer system under study
Database of Main Groundwater Reservoirs	Geoportal, GeoLog, e-PSH,	Boundaries of documented and undocumented main groundwater reservoirs; boundaries of protection areas of main groundwater reservoirs; hydrography
Database of recorded abstractions from groundwater intakes—Intakes	On request	The value of the annual total abstraction from the groundwater intake; information on the water permit (only the number and dates of validity) under which the user performed the groundwater abstraction; basic information on the entity that reported the water abstraction; basic information on the intake, i.e., name, address; the CBDH intake identifier to which the abstraction information pertains; the unique identifier of the abstraction information assigned in the Abstraction Database; the XY location (1992 PUGG), determined automatically from the coordinates of the representative object of the CBDH intake to which the information pertains or, in the absence of a CBDH identifier, determined from the available address data of the intake; the value of the average daily abstraction from the groundwater intake calculated automatically from the value of the annual abstraction obtained from the Marshal’s Office
Database GIS Maps of Groundwater Hazard Areas (Subwatersheds)	Geoportal, GeoLog, e-PSH	Areas at risk from groundwater flooding
GIS Database of Hydrogeological Maps of Poland in the scale 1:50,000	GeoLog, e-PSH	extent and depth of occurrence as well as thickness and conductivity; the quality of groundwater as a source of drinking water supply for the population; the degree of threat to groundwater from contamination from the land surface; the potential for yield from a typical drilled well; the current location of the groundwater table and directions of flow; the renewability of groundwater resources and their permitted use
GIS database of disposable groundwater resources for the area of Poland	GeoLog, e-PSH	information on the status of exploration and development of conventional groundwater resources

GIS database of disposable groundwater resources for the area of Poland GeoLog, e-PSH information on the status of exploration and development of conventional groundwater resources. Source: own elaboration based on https://www.pgi.gov.pl/psh/dane-hydrogeologiczne-psh.html, accessed on 16 May 2024. e-PSH—Portal Polish Hydrogeological Survey. GeoLog is a public information application, The Central Geological Database.

):

• Groundwater Monitoring Database;
• Database of Main Groundwater Reservoirs;
• Database of recorded abstractions from groundwater intakes—Intakes;
• Database GIS Maps of Groundwater Hazard Areas (Subwatersheds);
• GIS Database of Hydrogeological Maps of Poland in the scale 1:50,000;
• GIS database of disposable groundwater resources for the area of Poland.

The databases do not provide all the information on the map portals; interested parties have to request the information from the database operator. Some of the information is made available on map portals, but the information is scattered across different portals. Searching for information published by the Polish Geological Institute National Research Institute is not intuitive. The database of recorded abstractions from groundwater intakes—Abstractions allows the download of SHP files without disclosing the data on the map portal. The GIS database Floodplain Mapping (Subwatersheds) was created for the years 2003–2006.

Data from the Groundwater Monitoring database are made available according to the scope specified by the applicants. The main recipients of the data are as follows:

• State and local government agencies
• Universities;
• Enterprises;
• Cooperatives;
• Individuals.

The databases maintained by the Polish Geological Institute National Research Institute contain a great deal of information that is not presented in a way that would be intuitive to any viewer. Much of this information is only available after downloading SHP files and opening them with a special programme. In addition, the following information on the quantitative status and infrastructure of groundwater management can be found in the e-PSH and GeoLog databases (

Table 9. Other elements of the bases GeoLog and e-PSH.

Database	Scope
GeoLog	the individual groundwater bodies in the breakdown in force until 2015 (161) and 2016–2021 (172)
	hydrogeological objects
e-PSH	productivity
	groundwater bodies
	hydrogeological boreholes
	mineral sites

).

4. Results and Discussion

The legal instruments analysed, which are necessary for groundwater management, are used by public administrations to maintain waters in a non-degraded state, which is in line with the objectives of sustainable development. Similar legal instruments to those in Poland are in place in other EU countries, as a result of the requirement to implement the Water Framework Directive and others directives. For example, in Czech Republic, water law established the following types of legal instruments in order to protect waters: (1) planning—national and regional water management plans and programmes, (2) administrative—defining general responsibilities and prohibitions for water users and a system of permits, (3) informative—a monitoring system for water quantity and quality, and (4) corrective—counter-measures and rectification measures in the event of water pollution in emergency situations [44]. In France, the water management system aims to ultimately optimize the administrative and procedural costs of water protection through computerization and their division within the framework of cooperation between several local government units [45]. In Spain, water plans coordinate actions and are the basis for rational water management and protection of water resources. At present, groundwater is being exploited in an uncontrolled manner, resulting in more water being abstracted illegally than from legal sources, leading to a crisis in the existing system solutions. Therefore, the activities of the river basin organisation should be nationalised and its scope extended to include control and IT measures [46].

Table 10. Possibilities for the use of databases in groundwater management.

Management Instruments	Scope	IREIS	Hydroportal	GeoLog	e-PSH
Planning in water management (Art. 318 WL)	an assessment of point sources of pollution, an assessment of diffuse sources of pollution, together with information on land use			+	+
	an assessment of the impact on quantitative water status, together with information on water abstraction
	an analysis of other anthropogenic impacts on water status
	a map of the monitoring network together with a description of the monitoring programmes	+	+	+	+
	the establishment of environmental objectives for the water bodies
	a summary of the results of economic analyses related to water use
	a summary of the measures taken to achieve the environmental objectives for water bodies intended for abstraction for the supply of water for human consumption
Water consents (Art. 34 and 389 WL)	a water permit is required for specific water uses that involve the extraction of more than 5 m3/d of groundwaters
	a water permit is also required for water transfers, artificial groundwater recharge and long-term lowering of groundwater levels
Control of water management (Art. 334 WL)	water use and protection of water resources
	operation of water facilities		+
	maintenance of water and water facilities		+
	compliance with conditions in protection zones
	the quality of water abstracted for the supply of water for human consumption to the population			+	+
Water management information system (Art. 329 WL)	hydrographic network			+	+
	hydrological and meteorological gauging stations
	the demarcation of river basins, river catchment areas and water regions	+	+
	the quantity and quality of groundwater resources, including the available groundwater resources, the location of the main groundwater bodies and the groundwater monitoring and research network	+		+	+
	the volume of groundwater abstractions and discharges of waste water into water or onto the land, based on actual values and information from water rights permits		+
	the location and characteristics of point and area sources of pollution, including the location and coordinates of waste water discharge points			+	+
	river basin management plans		+
	Total	3	6	6	6
		14%	29%	29%	29%
Legend
76–100%		high
51–75%		good
26–50%		medium
1–25%		low

Source: own elaboration.

shows in which databases the information necessary for groundwater management can be found.

The databases were rated on a scale of high, good, medium and low usability in 21 cases.

As can be seen from the research presented, the following ranks can be assigned to the individual databases:

• IREIS—1;
• Hydroportal—2;
• GeoLog—2;
• e-PSH—2.

The databases are therefore at a medium to low level of utility for groundwater management.

The application for a water permit must be accompanied by various annexes, and these annexes are different from those that can be obtained from the databases presented. Of course, these databases help to identify the area for which the water permit is to be obtained, whether it is a flood risk area or not.

Table 10 shows that management tools are not always found in the water databases. As a disclosure system has been developed since the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive, there are technical possibilities to disclose and combine different data. In addition, some data are published in several databases, which may cause some problems due to the need to update the information in different databases.

IREIS is a very interesting solution for obtaining information about properties from a single point of access. Research has shown that not all land and water databases are connected to IREIS. The lack of connection of all databases leads to some confusion, as information is sought in several places, and unfortunately, this information is not always compatible. Information may be updated in one database and not in another; there is a certain lack of harmonisation of these data. As indicated in the research [47], in some procedures, this system can be used as a place where information about properties is checked. However, the procedure requires an officially certified document.

5. Conclusions

As groundwater is a strategic resource used for food purposes and is at the same time vulnerable to anthropogenic pressure, it requires special legal protection, which has been a challenge for EU countries, including Poland, in recent times. In order to protect groundwater, many legal instruments have been established, i.e., the monitoring system, water rights permits, water management planning, e.g., strategies for prevention and protection against groundwater pollution and, most importantly, the Water Management Information System. An analysis of the European Commission’s reports shows that there has been an upward trend in the achievement of good groundwater status in recent years, which may indicate the effectiveness of the legal instruments used. Nevertheless, as a result of the analysis of the water management information system—the information databases functioning in Poland (IREIS, Hydroportal, GeoLog and e-PSH), shortcomings and gaps are noticeable, among which the most obvious are (a) duplication of data and (b) significant lack of data necessary for the implementation of the analysed legal instruments. Priority should be given to the establishment of a harmonised permitting and sustainable resource management system by public authorities, supported by an adequate information and resource system for the EU and its Member States. The databases in question are not sufficiently useful for the tasks related to the management instruments, as evidenced by the results of the usability analysis of these systems (moderate and low rank). The amount of information in the databases should be increased to make them useful for water management. The number of databases containing groundwater information should also be reduced. A more efficient system of information flow can contribute to a faster response in situations where groundwater quantity and quality are threatened, e.g., post-flood situations, droughts or sudden uncontrolled discharges of wastewater containing substances that are particularly harmful to the water environment. Our proposals for changes to analysed information systems can provide guidance for other EU countries to increase the effectiveness of groundwater protection and management.