Characterization, classification, bacteriological, and evaluation of groundwater from 24 wells in six departments of Algeria

This is a conducted study of the physicochemical and the bacteriological characteristics of groundwater from 24 wells in the six departments of Algeria: Mostaganem, Mecheria, Naama, Tiaret, Bechar, and Adrar. The six departments and surrounding areas depend heavily on water from wells as a resource for drinking water, as well as domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses. Understanding the groundwater chemistry provides insight into the interactions of water with the environment and contributes to better resource management. In total, 24 water samples from wells have been analyzed for major physical–chemical elements and metals. The results show that the water have pH values ranging between 7.1 and 8.2, salinity between 213 and 1,273 mg/L, and nitrate concentrations between 30 and 48.7 mg/L. The high concentration of nitrates is explained by the utilization of chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Almost all the samples are of type Na–SO₄ and Na–HCO₃, and the trace metal concentrations are within the admissible standard ranges. The bacteriological analysis of 24 samples analyzed showed that nine samples (nos. 3, 5, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 22, and 23) are contaminated. We conclude that the groundwater samples may safely be used for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes with the exception of the following samples: nos. 3, 5, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 22, and 23.     

Characterisation, classification, and evaluation of some groundwater samples in the Mostaganem area of northwestern Algeria

Mostaganem City, located in the northwestern part of Algeria, has grown and has been urbanized rapidly. The city and surrounding areas depend heavily on groundwater as a resource for drinking water, as well as domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses. Understanding the groundwater chemistry provides insight into the interactions of water with the environment and contributes to better resource management. In total, 12 groundwater samples from wells in Mostaganem City have been analyzed for major physical–chemical elements and metals. The results show that the waters have pH values ranging between 7.1 and 8.1, salinity between 226 and 1,073 mg/L, and nitrate concentrations between 15 and 47.7 mg/L. The high concentration of nitrates is explained by the utilization of chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Almost all samples are of type Na–SO₄ and Na–HCO₃, and the trace metal concentrations are within the admissible standard ranges. We conclude that the groundwater in Mostaganem may safely be used for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Development prospects of groundwater resources in an elliptical shape island,Union Territory of Lakshadweep,India

A major problem of the islanders is the availability of fresh water for drinking purpose. Groundwater is the only source of fresh water for the islanders. The demand for groundwater is increasing very year due to growing population and urbanization. A proper understanding of the groundwater condition is important in order to meet this increasing demand and to formulate future development and management strategies. It is in this context, principal hydrogeologic units; water table fluctuation pattern, general groundwater potential, existing groundwater withdrawal structures and draft, water quality, etc. have been studied in an elliptical shape Andrott Island of Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India, through field investigation and secondary data collection. Groundwater occurs under phreatic condition and seawater is in hydraulic continuity with the groundwater as evidenced by the tidal influence in almost all the wells. Groundwater level fluctuation due to seasonal variation varies from 0 to 0.542 m depending on the distance of the well from the coast. Depth to groundwater level varies from less than 1.234 to 3.520 m depending on the topography. Groundwater level fluctuation is due to the combination of factors like rainfall, tidal activities, sub-surface runoff, and draft. Large diameter dug wells are the main groundwater extraction structures in this island. There are 2,143 dug wells with almost each family having its own well and the density of the dug wells is about 437/km². The stage of groundwater development is estimated as 37% and hence “Safe” for further groundwater development in this island. However, considering the very limited fresh-water resources and also the growing demand for groundwater, various management strategies such as rainwater harvesting, artificial recharge of groundwater, public participation in water conservation and wise use of groundwater, etc., have been suggested.     

Excavation of the Aica-Mules pilot tunnel for the Brenner base tunnel: information gained on water inflows in tunnels in granitic massifs

The construction of the Aica-Mules tunnel, completed in 2010, provides a relevant case history for improving the knowledge of hydrogeological issues related to the excavation of deep tunnels in granitic massifs. The Aica-Mules tunnel is a 10 km-long structure, forming part of the high-speed railway connection between Austria and Italy across the Alpine chain, located at an average depth of 500–1,000 m below the surface. Prior to and during the construction, intense hydrogeological monitoring was set up, allowing the collection of abundant data concerning: (1) the evolution of water inflows into the tunnel; (2) the chemistry and temperature of drained groundwater; and (3) the influence of tunnel drainage on springs. Based on detailed analysis of geological/hydrogeological data, this article provides an insight into the permeability distribution in granitic rocks affected by relevant brittle tectonic deformation, and the consequences of water inflow during excavation. The available time series from the principal water discharges in the tunnel have been used in order to test the reliability of some of the most commonly applied analytical methods for the forecast of water inflows into tunnels.     

Groundwater development,Kharga Oases,Western Desert of Egypt: A long-term environmental concern

The groundwater reserves in Kharga Oases have been studied for the long-term socioeconomic development in the area. The Nubian Sandstone, which consists of a thick sequence of coarse clastic sediments of sandstone, sandy clay interbedded with shale, and clay beds, forms a complex aquifer system. The Nubian Aquifer has been providing water to artesian wells and springs in the Kharga Oases for several thousand years. Groundwater in the Kharga Oases is withdrawn from springs and shallow and deep artesian wells Nearly all the wells originally flowed, but with the exploitation of ground-water from deep wells for irrigation beginning about 1959. the natural flows declined as more and more closely spaced deep wells were drilled By 1975 many deep wells had ceased to flow The water demand in the area has been met by pumping both shallow and deep wells The total annual extraction from deep wells has fluctuated over the year, however, the annual withdrawal from deep wells has exceeded extraction from shallow wells About 17 billion m³ of water was withdrawn from the combination of shallow and deep wells during the period 1960–1980 The Nubian complex aquifer in the Kharga Oases has a very large groundwater potential that could be exploited and beneficially used for a long-term agricultural development in the area, provided proper well spacing and management are implemented Other major environmental considerations for which precise hydrogeologic data are needed include

1. Determination of the long-term yield available from properly constructed and producing artesian wells that will support a planned migration of population from the overcrowded Nile delta and flood plain areas
2. Development of an effective management program and adequate staff to maintain groundwater production over an extended period of years
3. The impact on climate caused by extensive irrigation in the oases of the Western Desert of Egypt
4. Protection against water logging of soils from irrigation practices
5. Protection against salinization of soils from irrigation practices
6. Development of effective surface and subsurface drainage practices
7. The impact of farming and pest control practices on the shallow groundwater of the oases
8. Determination of the long-term development of the artesian water on the quality of the water from the aquiter systems in the Western Desert

This paper addresses items 1, 2 and 8.     

A unified formulation for generalized oilfield development optimization

Oilfield development involves several key decisions, including the number, type (injection/production), location, drilling schedule, and operating control trajectories of the wells. Without considering the coupling between these decision variables, any optimization problem formulation is bound to find suboptimal solutions. This paper presents a unified formulation for oilfield development optimization that seeks to simultaneously optimize these decision variables. We show that the source/sink term of the governing multiphase flow equations includes all the above decision variables. This insight leads to a novel and unified formulation of the field development optimization problem that considers the source/sink term in reservoir simulation equations as optimization decision variables. Therefore, a single optimization problem is formulated to simultaneously search for optimal decision variables by determining the complete dynamic form of the source/sink terms. The optimization objective function is the project net present value (NPV), which involves discounted revenue from oil production, operating costs (e.g. water injection and recycling), and capital costs (e.g., cost of drilling wells). A major difficulty after formulating the generalized field development optimization problem is finding an efficient solution approach. Since the total number of cells in a reservoir model far exceeds the number of cells that are intersected by wells, the source/sink terms tend to be sparse. In fact, the drilling cost in the NPV objective function serves as a sparsity-promoting penalty to minimize the number of wells while maximizing the NPV. Inspired by this insight, we solve the optimization problem using an efficient gradient-based method based on recent algorithmic developments in sparse reconstruction literature. The gradients of the NPV function with respect to the source/sink terms is readily computed using well-established adjoint methods. Numerical experiments are presented to evaluate the feasibility and performance of the generalized field development formulation for simultaneous optimization of the number, location, type, controls, and drilling schedule of the wells.     

Groundwater utilization through the centuries focusing οn the Hellenic civilizations

Groundwater has been utilized since the Prehistoric times. Water supply of some Minoan settlements on the eastern side of the island of Crete (Greece) was based on groundwater. Later on, many wells were constructed in several areas of Greece and their use expanded through subsequent periods. The greatest achievement in groundwater exploitation by ancient Greeks was the construction of long underground galleries or qanats, which collected water from springs and alluvial deposits. In Classical times, most of the wells were on private properties and their owners were forced by regulations to maintain the wells in good condition and ready for use in wartime. During that period, the first scientific theories of Aristotle and Theophrastus were developed in regards to hydrological phenomena, and the processes involved in the formation of surface water and groundwater were clarified. Wells played a major part in urban water supply during the Roman period, in which famous aqueducts were constructed to transfer water; however, several regions of Greece were self-sufficient in water, supplied by many wells from the Prehistoric to the Byzantine period. People understood the local geological conditions and, according to their culture, constructed and managed their own types of wells. In addition to the wells and aqueducts, the hydraulic technology included cisterns to store rainwater, and systems to capture spring water for transport by aqueducts. The examples of hydro-technologies and water management practices described in this paper may have some relevance for water engineering even in modern times.     

China’s huge investment on water facilities: an effective adaptation to climate change, natural disasters, and food security

China’s huge investment on water infrastructure for sustainable water use, followed by recently frequent natural disasters, caused worldwide concerns, i.e., continuously published by Nature and Science. Most researchers emphasized challenges on this investment; yet, we argue that the 2011-plan, targeting reservoirs, wells, irrigation systems, inter-basin water transfer projects, is the most effective adaptation to climate change, drought and flooding, as well as food security. This provides a good case of water management and development, particularly for the current uneven water resources and food security by climate change.     

致密砂岩气藏地层水水化学特征及其地质意义——以川西坳陷新场气田为例

四川盆地侏罗系沙溪庙组及三叠系须家河组作为陆上致密气资源增储上产重点的接替区,保有大量的难动用储量,具有较大的勘探开发潜力。然而随着深入的滚动勘探开发,中浅层沙溪庙组气藏和深层须家河组气藏气井产水已严重制约了气井产能,部分气井甚至因水淹而停产。本文对研究区不同层位34口气井的地层水进行了主量、微量元素和气藏成藏演化特征分析,结果显示沙溪庙组气藏和须家河组气藏经历了先成藏后致密再改造的成藏演化过程,断层的沟通导致深层须家河组地层水的大量上涌,使断层附近高渗的砂体被充注,在水动力等驱动作用下,天然气以游离相或水溶相沿断裂带进行垂向高效运移。垂向上大部分离子含量都随着埋深逐渐增大,深层须家河组地层水气藏具有较好的油气保存条件,并且经历了更为复杂的水岩相互作用,不同程度地使K、Ba、Sr、Li、Rb等元素更加富集。     

Effects of urbanization on groundwater resources of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

 Groundwater quality in the city of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, where dependence on groundwater supply is 100%, is affected by urbanization. Data from the sampling of shallow wells and boreholes along with water level records are used to study the aquifer. Chemical changes in time of the bottom and top half of the freshwater zone are the basis for hydrogeochemistry. The comparison of 1970 data (which represent information prior to urbanization) to 1991, suggests that the most affected (contaminated) areas coincide with that of urbanization. Received: 1 October 1997 · Accepted: 23 February 1998     

Parameterization,sensitivity analysis,and inversion: an investigation using groundwater modeling of the surface-mined Tivoli-Guidonia basin (Metropolitan City of Rome,Italy)

With respect to model parameterization and sensitivity analysis, this work uses a practical example to suggest that methods that start with simple models and use computationally frugal model analysis methods remain valuable in any toolbox of model development methods. In this work, groundwater model calibration starts with a simple parameterization that evolves into a moderately complex model. The model is developed for a water management study of the Tivoli-Guidonia basin (Rome, Italy) where surface mining has been conducted in conjunction with substantial dewatering. The approach to model development used in this work employs repeated analysis using sensitivity and inverse methods, including use of a new observation-stacked parameter importance graph. The methods are highly parallelizable and require few model runs, which make the repeated analyses and attendant insights possible. The success of a model development design can be measured by insights attained and demonstrated model accuracy relevant to predictions. Example insights were obtained: (1) A long-held belief that, except for a few distinct fractures, the travertine is homogeneous was found to be inadequate, and (2) The dewatering pumping rate is more critical to model accuracy than expected. The latter insight motivated additional data collection and improved pumpage estimates. Validation tests using three other recharge and pumpage conditions suggest good accuracy for the predictions considered. The model was used to evaluate management scenarios and showed that similar dewatering results could be achieved using 20 % less pumped water, but would require installing newly positioned wells and cooperation between mine owners.     

Aquifer contamination by chlorinated-VOCs: the case of an urban metropolis megasite overlying the Coastal Plain aquifer in Israel

The Tel Aviv metropolitan region (200 km²), located on the sandy and phreatic Mediterranean Coastal Plain aquifer in Israel, is an example of a contaminated megasite that is additionally complicated by being part of a densely populated urban environment. Despite being a major source of fresh potable water, no dedicated aquifer monitoring systems exist. The vast majority of tested water supply wells (82% of 90 wells) were found to be contaminated with one or more chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs) such as trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, originating from multiple sources, including former industrial sites. Temporal variations in Cl-VOC concentrations in water supply wells were large and unpredictable. Such aquifer contamination requires immediate action in terms of aquifer management and municipal water distribution. To cope with temporal and spatial variations in contaminant concentrations in water supply wells in an area where monitoring wells are absent, aquifer impact areas were defined based on the concentration of the Cl-VOC contaminant in pumping wells that was greatest in relation to its drinking water standard over a 3-year period. Such a map can be used to define water supply treatment and municipal well monitoring requirements, until an adequate monitoring system is established.     

成都市红层水井运行现状调查及水质评价

研究成都市红层水井运行现状,采用问卷调查和抽样调查方式对成都市红层水井展开调查,并运用标准指数法和综合评价法对红层区地下水进行质量评价。结果表明,2013年成都市红层水井综合使用率为69.21%;有30.79%的水井因水量小（或无）不具备使用价值、水质感观不好、垮井、建设用地占用水井、搬迁以及使用代替水源等原因不再使用;搬迁为水井废弃主要因素,占未使用水井总数的32.29%。地下水质量评价表明,红层水井地下水水质总体较差,占取样总数42%的水井处于较差~极差状况,硝酸盐、总硬度为主要超标指标。为此提出了加强红层水井管理的一些认识和建议。     

低渗透油藏菱形反九点井网不等缝长优化研究

在低渗透油藏开发中广泛使用菱形反九点井网,但针对不同位置生产井及注水井的裂缝缝长配比关系还缺少广泛深入的研究。基于长庆油田某低渗透油藏参数,建立了数值模拟模型,在菱形反九点井网中分别设置不同的边井、角井和注水井裂缝穿透比,研究不同裂缝配置模式对水驱开发效果的影响。流线模拟及数值模拟计算结果表明,在注水开发中,注水井缝长是影响油田产液量及水驱效果的关键因素;边井裂缝较角井裂缝更易见水,对油田综合含水影响较大,在菱形反九点井网中需要进行不等缝长优化设计;边井裂缝缝长对水驱效果的影响分为早、中、晚期(Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ)曲线段,随着注水井裂缝穿透比增加,早期(Ⅰ)曲线段增长,中期(Ⅱ)曲线段缩短,而晚期(Ⅲ)曲线段变化较小;随着角井裂缝穿透比增加,采出程度逐渐增大,当角井裂缝穿透比较大时,存在“反转”现象;随着注水井裂缝穿透比增加,角井裂缝优化穿透比减小,而边井裂缝优化穿透比增加。该研究成果对于指导低渗透油藏菱形反九点井网裂缝优化设计,提高波及系数和开发效果具有重要的指导意义。     

西北地区地下水水量-水位双控指标确定研究——以民勤盆地为例

地下水是西北内陆河流域干旱半干旱地区重要的供水水源、生态因子和环境因子。当前缺乏针对西北干旱半干旱地区特点的地下水水量和水位双控管理指标确定方法研究,无法为西北地区开展流域水资源管理生态保护提供技术支撑。本研究基于地下水可持续利用和生态保护的原则,提出了一套确定西北地区地下水水量-水位双控指标的技术方案。采用“以位定量”的思路,依据指标监测井代表的不同地下水功能区的地下水管理水位,确定水位指标区间值;将通过天然植被排泄的地下水量作为不可袭夺的排泄项,以数值模拟方法预报求解满足水位指标约束的地下水开采量,计算水量指标区间值。以民勤盆地为研究区开展示例研究,依据技术方案计算得到水位指标的下限阈值为埋深5.00～49.37 m,上限阈值为埋深0.00～5.00 m,水量指标上限为6 000×104 m3/a,下限为10 000×104 m3/a。采用2012—2016年区内实际开采量和监测水位变化趋势进行验证,当开采量在水量指标区间内运行时,水位也基本在水位指标区间内变化。该技术方法可以为西北地区开展双控管理提供一定的技术支撑。     

Analysis of groundwater level trend in Jakham River Basin of Southern Rajasthan

Groundwater accounts for about half of the water use for irrigation in India.The fluctuation pattern of the groundwater level is examined by observing rainfall replenishment and monitoring wells.The southern part of Rajasthan has experienced abrupt changes in rainfall and has been highly dependent on groundwater over decades.This study presents the impact of over-dependence on groundwater usage for irrigation and other purposes,spatially and temporally.Hence,the objective of this study is to examine the groundwater level trend by using statistical analysis and geospatial technique.Rainfall factor was also studied in groundwater level fluctuation during 2009-2019.To analyze the influence of each well during recharge or withdrawal of groundwater,thiessien polygonswere generated from them.In the Jakham River basin,75 wells have been identified for water level trend study using the Mann-Kendall statistical test.The statistics of trend analysis show that 15%wells are experiencing water level decline in pre-monsoon,while very low percentage of wells have such trend during post-monsoon season.The average rate of water level decline is 0.245 m/a in pre-monsoon and 0.05 m/a in post-monsoon.The aquifer recharge potential is also decreasing by year.it is expected that such type of studies will help the policy makers to adopt advanced management practices to ensure sustainable groundwater resource management.     

Isotopic composition of precipitation and groundwater in Sicily,Italy

The isotopic composition of meteoric water in Sicily, Italy was investigated from May 2004 until June 2006. Samples were sampled monthly from a network of 50 rain gauges. During the same period 580 groundwater samples were collected from springs and wells to obtain insight into the isotopic composition of the water circulating in the main aquifers of the area. The mean weighted precipitation values were used to define the weighted local meteoric water line for five different sectors of Sicily. The use of Geographical Information System tools, coupled with isotopic vertical gradients, allowed designing an isotopic contour map of precipitation in Sicily. The defined meteoric compositions were highly consistent with most of the groundwater samples in each sector. However, in some areas fractionation processes occurring during and after rainfall slightly modify the isotopic composition of the groundwater. The obtained data set defines the present day isotopic composition of meteoric water in the central Mediterranean area and provides baseline values for future climatic and/or isotope-based hydrology studies.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000400

Monitoring of regional groundwater levels provides important information for quantifying groundwater depletion and assessing impacts on the environment Historically,groundwater level monitoring wells in Beijing Plain,China,were installed for assessing groundwater resources and for monitoring the cone of depression.Monitoring wells are clustered around well fields and urban areas.There is urgent need to upgrade the existing monitoring wells to a regional groundwater level monitoring network to acquire information for integrated water resources management.A new method was proposed for designing a regional groundwater level monitoring network.The method is based on groundwater regime zone mapping.Groundwater regime zone map delineates distinct areas of possible different groundwater level variations and is useful for locating groundwater monitoring wells.This method was applied to Beijing Plain to upgrade a regional groundwater level monitoring network.     

Geologic factors controlling groundwater chemistry in the coastal aquifer system of Douala/Cameroon: implication for groundwater system functioning

Douala city, located in the littoral province of Cameroon, receives abundant rainfall quantities due to its geographical position in the Gulf of Guinea and bears considerable surface water and groundwater resources. Due to socioeconomic development and rapid demographic growth in the city and its consequences of unplanned urbanization and improper sanitation system, these water resources are poorly protected and managed. Streams in the Wouri watershed receive large amounts of wastewater discharge, and hundreds of boreholes have been drilled into the aquifer system without any management plan. A detailed hydrodynamic and hydrogeochemistry study in Douala town and its environs was conducted to get a better insight into the groundwater system functioning in order to provide information for the sustainable management and protection of the groundwater resource. Two field campaigns were carried out with 187 samples collected and analyzed for major ions, stable isotopes (¹⁸O, ²H), and tritium ³H. The results of the sampling have shown that the weathering of silicate minerals is the dominant geochemical process affecting groundwater chemistry in this system. However, acid rainfall in the humid climate has also caused carbonate mineral dissolution, amorphous silica deposition, and ion exchange reactions to occur in aquifers in the region. The various water types identified were categorized into four major clusters C1 to C4, based on the major ion composition and the local hydrogeological conditions. Environmental isotope data reveal that modern-to-submodern waters occur in the phreatic Quaternary/Mio-Pliocene and Oligocene/Upper Eocene aquifers, respectively. These results corroborate with the conceptual model built where modern groundwater types indicated silicate mineral weathering and calcite dissolution (C1 and C2), whereas submodern groundwater mostly showed silica deposition, ion exchange, and, to a lesser extent, carbonate mineral dissolution (C3 and C4). This improved understanding of the aquifer system functioning is essential to provide a reasonable basis for effective control measures and sustainable water management.