An Assessment of Groundwater Contamination Vulnerability and Priority Areas for Groundwater Management Using GIS and Analytic Hierarchy Process

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to improve the previous groundwater contamination vulnerability assessment method, apply it to the study area, and select priority areas for groundwater management based on the quantitative analysis of groundwater contamination vulnerability. For this purpose, first, the previous 'potential contamination' based on groundwater contamination vulnerability assessment method was upgraded to the methodology considering 'adaptation capacity' which reduced contamination. Second, the weight of groundwater contamination vulnerability assessment factors was calculated based on the analytical hierarchy process(AHP) and the result of survey targeting groundwater experts. Third, Gyeonggi-do was selected as the study area and the improved methodology and weight were implemented with GIS and actual groundwater contamination vulnerability assessment was carried out. Fourth, the priority area for groundwater contamination management was selected based on the quantitative groundwater contamination vulnerability assessment diagram. The improved detailed groundwater contamination vulnerability assessment factors in this study were a total of 15 factors, and 15 factors were analyzed as new and improved weight with higher 'adaptation capacity' than the assessment factor corresponding to the previous 'potential contamination' in the weight calculation result using AHP. Also, the result of groundwater contamination vulnerability assessment in Gyeonggi Province using GIS showed that Goyang and Gwangmyeong which were adjacent to Seoul had a high groundwater contamination vulnerability and Pocheon and Yangpyeong County had a relatively low groundwater contamination vulnerability. In this study, the previous groundwater contamination vulnerability assessment was improved and applied to study areas actually. The result of this study can be utilized both directly and indirectly for the groundwater management master plan at national and local government level in the future.