Methodology for mapping shallow groundwater quality in urbanized areas: A case study from Lithuania

Abstract

Cities have a negative impact on the quality of shallow groundwater. Many of Lithuania's urban residents drink water from dug wells. Moreover, polluted shallow groundwater contaminates deeper aquifers of fresh drinking water. Therefore, this situation should be controlled and managed, as far as possible. In order to evaluate the quality of shallow groundwater in an urban area and to create an optimal monitoring system, an original methodology for groundwater mapping has been proposed. It resembles the GIS (geographical information system) technologies. The set of maps, laid one over another, consists of the following: (1) urbanization map, (2) geological-hydrogeological map, (3) groundwater chemistry map, (4) resulting groundwater chemistry factorial analysis map, and (5) pollution and pollutant transport map. The data obtained from studies on dug and geotechnical wells have been used for compilation of the maps. The system for shallow groundwater monitoring in the city with an area of 70 sq km and a population of 140,000 is proposed to consist of about 30 monitoring wells and several dug wells.