Modeling Pumped Water Salinity and Salt Water Upconing

Abstract

SUMMARY The farmers of the South-West Punjab, India, lift fresh groundwater for irrigation from the upper layers of the aquifers through interconnected, shallow, and low discharge tube wells. The groundwater of higher salinity usually present at deeper depths remains untouched. Besides permitting irrigation, some control over the water table rise is also achieved during the process. The SUTRA model was used to study the influence of vertical permeability, recharge, pumping rate, and pumping schedule on quality of the pumped water of a well. The results show that vertical permeability, recharge, and pumping rate have significant influence on quality of the pumped water. The influence of pumping schedule is less straightforward. It appears that daily pumping schedules are of limited influence. Seasonal changes in the pumping schedule, however, have significant impact on pumped water quality.