Water supply potential and optimal exploitation capacity of karst aquifer systems

The management of groundwater flow systems in karst regions appears, at present, to be the most important procedure for solving water deficiency problems during periods of low rainfall. Faced with a lack of data for characterizing the water supply potential of karst aquifers, analyses of spring hydrographs may provide valuable indirect information regarding the structure of karst hydrogeological systems. To estimate the optimal exploitation capacities of karstic sources, a stochastic-conceptual approach was applied in case studies from the Serbian karst. Water supply potentials were initially evaluated on the basis of groundwater budgets. Further steps towards defining optimal “exploitable” regimes included analyses of storage changes in karst water reservoirs under natural conditions and calculation of the potential expansion of currently tapped sources. The results obtained through these analyses are a significant contribution to feasibility studies and aid in the avoidance of problems of overexploitation.