Hydrogeological investigation of groundwater artificial recharge by treated wastewater in semi-arid regions: Korba aquifer (Cap-Bon Tunisia)

Korba aquifer is one of the most typical examples of overexploited coastal aquifer in the Mediterranean countries. In fact, from 1985, a considerable piezometric level drop, water salinization, and seawater intrusion were registered in the aquifer. In December 2008, Tunisian authorities initiated a general plan to groundwater management in order to augment groundwater resources, restore the piezometric levels, and improve water quality. The plan consists of artificial recharge of groundwater used treated wastewater through three infiltration basins. During the first 4 years (from December 2008 to December 2012), 1.41 Mm³ of treated wastewater was injected to the Korba aquifer. This study presents a hydrogeological assessment of groundwater evolution during the recharge processes. In this study, 32 piezometric and chemical surveys of 70 piezometers and observed wells are used to present hydrogeological investigation and water quality evolution of wastewater reuse through artificial recharge in Korba coastal aquifer. The piezometric evolution maps are used to specify the positive effect in groundwater level that exceeding 1.5 m in some regions. The interpretation of salinity evolution maps are used to indicate the improving of groundwater quality.     

Artificial recharge of groundwater: hydrogeology and engineering

Artificial recharge of groundwater is achieved by putting surface water in basins, furrows, ditches, or other facilities where it infiltrates into the soil and moves downward to recharge aquifers. Artificial recharge is increasingly used for short- or long-term underground storage, where it has several advantages over surface storage, and in water reuse. Artificial recharge requires permeable surface soils. Where these are not available, trenches or shafts in the unsaturated zone can be used, or water can be directly injected into aquifers through wells. To design a system for artificial recharge of groundwater, infiltration rates of the soil must be determined and the unsaturated zone between land surface and the aquifer must be checked for adequate permeability and absence of polluted areas. The aquifer should be sufficiently transmissive to avoid excessive buildup of groundwater mounds. Knowledge of these conditions requires field investigations and, if no fatal flaws are detected, test basins to predict system performance. Water-quality issues must be evaluated, especially with respect to formation of clogging layers on basin bottoms or other infiltration surfaces, and to geochemical reactions in the aquifer. Clogging layers are managed by desilting or other pretreatment of the water, and by remedial techniques in the infiltration system, such as drying, scraping, disking, ripping, or other tillage. Recharge wells should be pumped periodically to backwash clogging layers. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer LINK server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10040-001-0182-4. Electronic Publication     

岩溶区地表水与地下水资源及环境统一评价的流域边界划分研究

岩溶地区地表水流域与地下水流域边界的分异形式有三类,即:地表分水岭与地下水流域边界在平面分布上基本一致;地表分水岭超出了地下水流域边界;地下水流域边界超出了地表分水岭。岩溶区地表水与地下水耦合流域的顶界为地表水流域的水面及下垫面,底界为浅循环潜水含水层或潜水—承压含水层下伏的隔水层顶面,在大厚度岩溶含水层分布区,可以弱岩溶发育带的顶面作为底界。其中地表水与地下水两个子系统间的次级边界,为地表水流域的下垫面。结合专门调查（勘查）评价和区域调查评价的特性,提出评价单元划分的原则及方法。这有助于在新一轮自然资源调查评价中,以流域为单元系统地开展水资源及环境调查评价,实行地表水和地下水资源及环境的统一管理。      

西北某干旱区多级储水洼地地下水数值模拟

西北某放射性废物处置场预选区,区域地下水系统包含多级独立第四系储水洼地,洼地出口以泉水排泄地下水,继而回渗补给下级洼地。根据含水层底板起伏特征,利用GMS模拟软件中的排水沟模块与溪流模块概化了泉水,通过泉流量校准与监测孔水位拟合,校正了研究区渗透系数、给水度、和储水率等水文地质参数,计算了地下水流速、流向以及地下水资源量。结果显示,研究区地下水由南向北东径流,东北部为最终排泄洼地,地下水流速缓慢,水资源相对匮乏,有利于放射性废物处置的安全。     

An assessment of the potential and impacts of winter water banking in the Sokh aquifer, Central Asia

The dynamics of artificial recharge of winter surface flows coupled with increased summer groundwater use for irrigation in the Sokh aquifer (Central Asia) have been investigated. Water release patterns from the giant Toktogul reservoir have changed, as priority is now given to hydropower generation in winter in Kyrgyzstan. Winter flows have increased and summer releases have declined, but the Syr Darya River cannot pass these larger winter flows and the excess is diverted to a natural depression, creating a 40?×?10⁹m³ lake. A water balance study of all 18 aquifers feeding the Fergana Valley indicated the feasibility of winter groundwater recharge in storage created by summer abstraction. This modeling study examines the dynamics of the process in one aquifer over a 5-year period, with four scenarios: the current situation; increased groundwater abstraction of around 625 million (M) m³/year; groundwater abstraction with an artificial recharge of 144 Mm³/year, equivalent to the volume available in low flow years in the Sokh River; and with a larger artificial recharge of 268 Mm³/year, corresponding to high flow availability. Summer surface irrigation diversions can be reduced by up to 350 Mm³ and water table levels can be lowered.     

Hydrogeochemical characterization of major factors affecting the quality of groundwater in southern Iran,Janah Plain

The Janah alluvial aquifer is located in southern Iran with an arid climate. The type of groundwater in this aquifer is dominantly of sodium chloride and total dissolved solid of groundwater samples range from 1.63 to 335 g/L which confirms that groundwater quality has been severely degraded by salinization. Hydrogeochemical and isotopic investigations were conducted to identify the source of salinity. Total dissolved solids and major ion concentrations were measured at 51 selected sampling sites including springs, wells and surface waters. In addition stable isotopic composition (oxygen-18 and deuterium) was measured in 6 sampling points.The study indicates that the sources of salinity of the Janah aquifer include dissolution of salt diapir and evaporite rocks, a geothermal spring and intrusion of the river water which function individually or together in different parts of the aquifer. Based on the hydrogeochemical and geological studies conceptual flow models were prepared for different parts of the aquifer which illustrate how each source of salinity deteriorates the quality of the alluvial aquifer. We proposed few remediation methods including construction of cemented channel and sealed basins to improve groundwater quality. These methods would prevent infiltration of low quality water into the alluvial aquifer.     

Assessment of groundwater recharge and water fluxes of the Guarani Aquifer System, Brazil

The groundwater recharge and water fluxes of the Guarani Aquifer System in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil were assessed through a numeric model. The study area (6,748 km²) comprises Jacaré-Guaçú and Jacaré-Pepira River watersheds, tributaries of the Tietê River in the central region of the state. GIS based tools were used in the storage, processing and analysis of data. Main hydrologic phenomena were selected, leading to a groundwater conceptual model, taking into account the significant outcrops occurring in the study area. Six recharge zones were related to the geologic formation and structures of the semi-confined and phreatic aquifer. The model was calibrated against the baseflows and static water levels of the wells. The results emphasize the strong interaction of groundwater flows between watersheds and the groundwater inflow into the rivers. It has been concluded that lateral groundwater exchanges between basins, the deep discharges to the regional system, and well exploitation were not significant aquifer outflows when compared to the aquifer recharge. The results have shown that the inflows from the river into the aquifer are significant and have the utmost importance since the aquifer is potentially more vulnerable in these places.     

大清河流域平原区地下水人工补给潜力与补给方式分析

为了有效提升大清河流域平原区地下水水位,亟需在此区域开展地下水人工补给工程,并确定合理的建设位置及有效的补给方式。首先基于研究区可利用补给水源、地下水位、地表高程、地表坡度及与河道距离5个指标的分布特征,构建地下水补给潜力评价体系,采用ArcGIS空间分析功能对研究区进行了地下水人工补给潜力区划;然后在此评价体系基础上,在典型人工补给高潜力区进一步开展系列野外现场试验,探讨适宜可行的地下水人工补给方式。结果表明：研究区西北部及南部河道附近区域开展人工补给工程潜力较高,而中部、北部及西南部远离河道的区域潜力较低。高潜力区——白沟引河地段包气带及含水层渗透性良好,整体渗透系数均在5 m/d左右或更高,适宜地表补给,但河床渗透性较差,渗透系数基本在0.01~0.09 m/d间,若通过河道补给需配合清淤等措施。其中,在上游及中游沿岸适宜将河道水通过生态水渠引至修建的地表入渗池或借助天然渗坑内入渗补给,在中下游沿岸区域适宜将补给水进行严格的水处理后采用井灌方式补给,在白沟引河中下游河道适宜修建拦水坝,利用河道进行入渗补给。     

The impact of salt diapirs on the quality of carbonate karst waters,Bastak, Iran

The Gavbast karstic aquifer located in southern Iran is in direct contact with an exposed salt diapir. To assess the influence of the diapir on the quality of groundwater in the karstic aquifer, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, flow rate, temperature and major ion concentrations were measured at 57 sampling sites, including springs, surface waters and wells. A conceptual model of groundwater flow is proposed for the Gavbast karstic aquifer based on the geological setting, water budget, local base of erosion, and hydrochemistry of the sampling sites. The model suggests two subbasins in the Gavbast Anticline draining into two distinct discharging alluvial sections. Unexpectedly, groundwater discharging from the carbonate Gavbast aquifer is saline or brackish and water is of chloride type. The study indicates that the source of salinity of the Gavbast aquifers is infiltration of surface diapir-derived brine into the aquifer. The contribution of the diapir brine in the Gavbast karst aquifer is calculated about 4 L/s, using chloride mass balance. Construction of salt basins to evaporate brine discharging from the diapir springs is proposed to reduce the salinity of karst water. A row of strategically placed wells in the Gavbast karst aquifer would potentially exploit large volumes of fresh groundwater before it is contaminated by the salt. Such low-cost remediation should allow the agricultural exploitation of 40 km² of currently barren land.     

The dependence of stream depletion by seasonal pumping on various hydraulic characteristics and engineering factors

Compensation pumping is used to alleviate deficiencies in streamflow discharge during dry seasons. Short-term groundwater pumping can use aquifer storage instead of catchment-zone water until the drawdown reaches the edge of the stream. The capacitance is a complex, dimensionless parameter of an aquifer system that defines the delayed effect on streamflow when there is groundwater pumping. This parameter is a function of aquifer hydraulic characteristics, pumping time, and distance between the well and stream edge; the latter can involve stream leakance and vertical leakance of an associated aquitard. Three typical hydraulic cases of combined water systems (major catchment-zone wells close to the stream and compensation pumping wells) were classified depending on their capacitance structure (i.e. the relationship between surface water and groundwater): (1) perfect hydraulic connection between the stream and aquifer; (2) imperfect hydraulic connection between the stream and aquifer; and (3) essentially imperfect hydraulic connection between the stream and the underlying confined aquifer. The impact of various hydraulic characteristics and engineering factors on stream depletion was examined by conceptual and numerical modeling. To predict the suitability and efficiency of a combined water system application, regression tests were undertaken on unit stream depletion and capacitance, and power dependencies were defined.     

Characterization of the shallow groundwater system in an alpine watershed: Handcart Gulch,Colorado, USA

Water-table elevation measurements and aquifer parameter estimates are rare in alpine settings because few wells exist in these environments. Alpine groundwater systems may be a primary source of recharge to regional groundwater flow systems. Handcart Gulch is an alpine watershed in Colorado, USA comprised of highly fractured Proterozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks with wells completed to various depths. Primary study objectives include determining hydrologic properties of shallow bedrock and surficial materials, developing a watershed water budget, and testing the consistency of measured hydrologic properties and water budget by constructing a simple model incorporating groundwater and surface water for water year 2005. Water enters the study area as precipitation and exits as discharge in the trunk stream or potential recharge for the deeper aquifer. Surficial infiltration rates ranged from 0.1–6.2×10^?5 m/s. Discharge was estimated at 1.28×10^?3 km³. Numerical modeling analysis of single-well aquifer tests predicted lower specific storage in crystalline bedrock than in ferricrete and colluvial material (6.7×10^?5–2.0×10^?3 l/m). Hydraulic conductivity in crystalline bedrock was significantly lower than in colluvial and alluvial material (4.3×10^?9–2.0×10^?4 m/s). Water budget results suggest that during normal precipitation and temperatures water is available to recharge the deeper groundwater flow system.     

Groundwater pollution due to sugar-mill effluent, at Sonai, Maharashtra, India

 Analyses of 126 samples collected from 18 dug wells in the shallow basaltic aquifer over a period of 7 months have revealed spatial as well as temporal changes in the chemical properties of groundwater. While the temporal changes have been attributed to dilution and concentration phenomena governed by climatic factors, the spatial variations in the geochemical characteristics of groundwater appeared to be related to pollution due to effluents from the Mula Sugar Factory. The cause of groundwater pollution is the effluent carried by a stream flowing through the area. Fluctuations in the groundwater table, influent water quality character of the stream, less capacity to accommodate large volume of effluent and occurrence of zero base flow (under natural conditions) in the stream are the factors favoring infiltration of constituents of waste water into the underlying weathered basaltic aquifer. Pollutants have entered into the shallow aquifer by downward percolation through the zone of aeration to form a recharge mound at the water table and, further, lateral movement below the water table. The plume of polluted groundwater has a lateral extent of a few meters in the upstream area and more than 400 m on either side of the stream in the downstream part. The zone of polluted groundwater has an areal extent of more than 3.5 km². Groundwater is the only source available for drinking and agricultural purposes. It is recommended that the base of the lagoons and the stream used for release of plant effluent should be waterproofed for the protection of groundwater in the Sonai area. Received: 30 April 1997 · Accepted: 23 September 1997     

Impact of stormwater infiltration basins on groundwater quality, Perth metropolitan region, Western Australia

Twelve bores were sunk adjacent to three stormwater infiltration basins in the Perth metropolitan area to examine the impact of runoff from a light industrial area, a medium-density residential area, and a major arterial road on groundwater quality, and to examine the hydrological response of the aquifer to runoff recharge. Automatic and manual water level monitoring between April and November 1990 indicated that groundwater levels responded within minutes to recharge from the infiltration basins. Peak water levels of up to 2.5 m above rest levels occurred 6–24 h after the commencement of ponding in the infiltration basins. There was a marked reduction in salinity and increase in dissolved oxygen concentrations in the upper part of the aquifer downgradient of the infiltration basins. Concentrations of toxic metals, nutrients, pesticides, and phenolic compounds in groundwater near the infiltration basins were low and generally well within Australian drinking water guidelines. However, sediment in the base of an infiltration basin draining a major road contained in excess of 3500 ppm of lead. Phthalates, which are US EPA priority pollutants, were detected in all but one bore near the infiltration basins. Their detection may be a sampling artifact, but they may also be derived from the plastic litter that accumulates in the infiltration basins. The concentration of iron in groundwater near the infiltration basins appears to be controlled by dissolved oxygen concentrations, with high iron concentrations occurring where dissolved oxygen concentrations are low. Pumping bores located near infiltration basins may suffer from iron encrustation problems caused by the mixing of shallow, oxygenated groundwater with water containing higher concentrations of iron from deeper in the aquifer.     

Application of Numerical Modeling for Groundwater Flow System Analysis in the Akaki Catchment,Central Ethiopia

A three dimensional steady-state finite difference groundwater flow model is used to quantify the groundwater fluxes and analyze the subsurface hydrodynamics in the Akaki catchment by giving particular emphasis to the well field that supplies water to the city of Addis Ababa. The area is characterized by Tertiary volcanics covered with thick residual and alluvial soils. The model is calibrated using head observations from 131 wells. The simulation is made in a two layer unconfined aquifer with spatially variable recharge and hydraulic conductivities under well-defined boundary conditions. The calibrated model is used to forecast groundwater flow pattern, the interaction of groundwater and surface water, and the effect of pumping on the well field under different scenarios. The result indicates that the groundwater flows regionally to the south converging to the major well field. Reservoirs and rivers play an important role in recharging the aquifer. Simulations made under different pumping rate indicate that an increase in pumping rate results in substantial regional groundwater level decline, which will lead to the drying of springs and shallow hand dug wells. Also, it has implications of reversal of flow from contaminated rivers into productive aquifers close to main river courses. The scenario analysis shows that the groundwater potential is not enough to sustain the ever-growing water demand of the city of Addis Ababa. The sensitivity and scenario analysis provided important information on the data gaps and the specific sites to be selected for monitoring, and may be of great help for transient model development. This study has laid the foundation for developing detailed predictive groundwater model, which can be readily used for groundwater management practices.     

Investigative approaches to determine exchange processes in the hyporheic zone of a low permeability riverbank

The hydraulic and hydrochemical interactions of surface water and groundwater in the riverbank of an alluvial stream in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg were investigated. Hydraulic conductivity in the riverbank is low and the aquifer is confined. Gauged surface-water levels and groundwater levels were recorded over several months to observe potential effluent and influent aquifer conditions. Water samples were taken under different hydraulic conditions in the stream and from three observation wells in the riverbank. Samples were analysed for inorganic parameters and selected dissolved pharmaceuticals. The recorded groundwater levels in the riverbank responded almost without delay to changes in stream stage, which is very dynamic. Frequent changes from effluent to influent aquifer conditions were observed. The analyses for selected ions and pharmaceuticals support the assumption that the pharmaceutical compounds enter the riverbank via the stream only. The chosen trace organics are therefore suitable as anthropogenic tracers for groundwater and surface-water interactions at this field site. They prove that water exchanges also take place in riverbanks even where the hydraulic conductivity is low and for this reason indicate the existence of a hyporheic zone in the investigated section of the stream.     

A conceptual and numerical model for groundwater management: a case study on a coastal aquifer in southern Tuscany, Italy

Ongoing hydrogeological research aims to develop a correct management model for the Plio-Pleistocene multi-aquifer system of the Albegna River coastal plain (southern Tuscany, Italy); overexploitation of this aquifer for irrigation and tourism has caused seawater intrusion. The conceptual model is based on field and laboratory data collected during the 1995–2003 period. Meteoric infiltration and flows from the adjoining carbonate aquifer recharge the aquifer. Natural outflow occurs through a diffuse flow into the sea and river; artificial outflow occurs through intensive extraction of groundwater from wells. Water exchanges in the aquifer occur naturally (leakage, closing of aquitard) and artificially (multiscreened wells). The aquifer was represented by a three-dimensional finite element model using the FEFLOW numerical code. The model was calibrated for steady-state and transient conditions by matching computed and measured piezometric levels (February 1995–February 1996). The model helped establish that seawater intrusion is essentially due to withdrawals near the coast during the irrigation season and that it occurs above all in the Osa-Albegna sector, as well as along the river that at times feeds the aquifer. The effects of hypothetical aquifer exploitation were assessed in terms of water budget and hydraulic head evolution.     

新疆焉耆盆地水环境氢氧同位素特征及其指示作用

根据焉耆盆地开都河水及其两岸地下水中的氢氧稳定同位素资料及氘过量参数(d)值,分析了焉耆盆地内不同水体的δ(D)、δ(18O)和d值的分布规律,并得到地下水的主要补给来源及其与开都河水的相互作用关系;地下水的δ(D)在-87.60‰～-61.82‰间,δ(18O)在-10.90‰～-9.73‰间;开都河水的δ(D)在-71.95‰～-58.58‰间,δ(18O)在-9.57‰～-8.64‰间。结果表明:焉耆盆地内地下水和地表水同源于山区的降水和冰雪融水,且经历了较强的蒸发作用;地下水与地表水之间的直接水力联系较弱,深层地下水主要接受开都河水在洪积扇区的入渗补给,浅层地下水主要接受河流引水灌溉入渗;不同深度地下水之间的水力联系较为密切,为统一的地下水系统。     

Hydrogeological characterization of Gold Valley: an investigation of precipitation recharge in an intermountain basin in the Death Valley region, California, USA

Gold Valley is typical of intermountain basins in Death Valley National Park (DVNP), California (USA). Using water-balance calculations, a GIS-based analytical model has been developed to estimate precipitational infiltration rates from catchment-scale topographic data (elevation and slope). The calculations indicate that groundwater recharge mainly takes place at high elevations (>1,100?m) during winter (average 1.78?mm/yr). A resistivity survey suggests that groundwater accumulates in upstream compartmentalized reservoirs and that the groundwater flows through basin fill and fractured bedrock. This explains the relationship between the upstream precipitational infiltration in Gold Valley and the downstream spring flow in Willow Creek. To verify the ability of local recharge to support high-flux springs in DVNP, a GIS-based model was also applied to the Furnace Creek catchment. The results produced insufficient total volume of precipitational infiltration to support flow from the main high-flux springs in DVNP under current climatic conditions. This study introduces a GIS-based infiltration model that can be integrated into the Death Valley regional groundwater flow model to estimate precipitational infiltration recharge. In addition, the GIS-based model can efficiently estimate local precipitational infiltration in similar intermountain basins in arid regions provided that the validity of the model is verified.     

Parallel simulation of groundwater non-point source pollution using algebraic multigrid preconditioners

The simulation of non-point source pollution in agricultural basins is a computationally demanding process due to the large number of individual sources and potential pollution receptors (e.g., drinking water wells). In this study, we present an efficient computational framework for parallel simulation of diffuse pollution in such groundwater basins. To derive a highly detailed velocity field, we employed algebraic multigrid (AMG) preconditioners to solve the groundwater flow equation. We compare two variants of AMG implementations, the multilevel preconditioning provided by Trilinos and the BoomerAMG provided by HYPRE. We also perform a sensitivity analysis on the configuration of AMG methods to evaluate the application of these libraries to groundwater flow problems. For the transport simulation of diffuse contamination, we use the streamline approach, which decomposes the 3D transport problem into a large number of 1D problems that can be executed in parallel. The proposed framework is applied to a 2,600-km² groundwater basin in California discretized into a grid with over 11 million degrees of freedom. Using a Monte Carlo approach with 200 nitrate loading realizations at the aquifer surface, we perform a stochastic analysis to quantify nitrate breakthrough prediction uncertainty at over 1,500 wells due to random, temporally distributed nitrate loading. The results show that there is a significant time lag between loading and aquifer response at production wells. Generally, typical production wells respond after 5–50 years depending on well depth and screen length, while the prediction uncertainty for nitrate in individual wells is very large—approximately twice the drinking water limit for nitrate.     

Assessing the vulnerability of over-exploited volcanic aquifer systems using multi-parameter analysis,Toluca Basin,Mexico

The potential for contamination of groundwater in an over-exploited system led to this investigation on aspects of aquifer vulnerability in the Toluca Basin, Mexico. This study involved the use of various hydrogeological, geochemical and isotopic tools to better understand the susceptibility to contamination where heavy groundwater extraction along with industrial extensive development is concentrated. Geochemical and isotopic analyses of groundwater from production wells along the mountain boundary show little evidence of contamination at present time. Radiocarbon and tritium data collected in piezometers and wells penetrating the Lower basalt aquifer indicate that the groundwater is of varying age and quality. These data, in addition to stable isotope and chemical data also indicate evidence of contamination in the Lower aquifer; which could be associated with fast recharge in the mountains or injection of waste water by illegal wells. Evidence found in this study of low downward gradients in the valley fill sediments and the presence of low permeability aquitard deposits suggest that the aquifer system is currently not highly threatened by surface sources of contamination. However, where urban and industrial development occurs, in the centre of the valley and along the flanks of the Basin, the vulnerability of the aquifer system increases significantly.