Assessment of Data Driven and Process Based Water Management Tools for the Geothermal Reservoir Waiwera (New Zealand)

The reservoir below the village is commercially used since 1863. Due to overproduction in the 1960s and 1970s the water level declined critically. Therefore, abstraction rates were limited, monitoring deployed and models set up to manage the site sustainably. It is shown here that data driven models based on experience and observations are of higher accuracy and provide better prognoses. Process based simulations are more flexible and the foundation for system understanding of the geothermal area. The earlier are “black box” and need regular revision and the latter are the only way for future and prospective scenarios.