Effects Of Artificial Recharge Research Articles

A Feasibility Assessment of Potential Artificial Recharge for Increasing Agricultural Areas in the Kerbala Desert in Iraq Using Numerical Groundwater Modeling

Groundwater in Iraq is considered to be an alternative water resource, especially for areas far away from surface water. Groundwater is affected by many factors including climate change, industrial activities, urbanization, and industrialization. In this study, the effect of artificial recharge on the quantity of groundwater in the Dibdibba unconfined aquifer in Iraq was simulated using a groundwater modeling system (GMS). The main raw water source used in the artificial recharge process was the reclaimed water output (tertiary treatment) from the main wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Kerbala, with 20 injection wells. After calibration and validation of the three-dimensional numerical model used in this study and taking wastewater recharge rates into account, two different scenarios were applied to obtain the expected behavior of the aquifer when the groundwater levels were augmented with 5% and 10% of the daily outflow production of the WWTP in Kerbala. The model matched the observed head elevations with R2 = 0.951 for steady state and R2= 0.894 for transient simulations. The results indicate that the injection of treated water through 20 wells raised the water table in more than 91 and 136 km2 for 5000 and 10,000 m3/day pumping rates, respectively. Moreover, increasing the volume of water added to the aquifer could lead to establishing new agricultural areas, spanning more than 62 km2, extending about 20 km along the river.

Numerical modeling of solute transport in a sand tank physical model under varying hydraulic gradient and hydrological stresses

This laboratory study improves the understanding of the impacts of horizontal hydraulic gradient, artificial recharge, and groundwater pumping on solute transport through aquifers. Nine experiments and numerical simulations were carried out using a sand tank. The variable-density groundwater flow and sodium chloride transport were simulated using the three-dimensional numerical model SEAWAT. Numerical modelling results successfully reproduced heads and concentrations observed in the sand tank. A higher horizontal hydraulic gradient enhanced the migration of sodium chloride, particularly in the groundwater flow direction. The application of constant artificial recharge increased the spread of the sodium chloride plume in both the longitudinal and lateral directions. In addition, groundwater pumping accelerated spreading of the sodium chloride plume towards the pumping well. Both higher hydraulic gradient and pumping rate generated oval-shaped plumes in the horizontal plane. However, the artificial recharge process produced stretched plumes. These effects of artificial recharge and groundwater pumping were greater under higher hydraulic gradient. The concentration breakthrough curves indicated that emerging solutions never attained the concentration of the originally injected solution. This is probably because of sorption of sodium chloride onto the silica sand and/or the exchange of sodium chloride between the mobile and immobile liquid domains. The fingering and protruding plume shapes in the numerical models constitute instability zones produced by buoyancy-driven flow. Overall, the results have substantiated the influences of hydraulic gradient, boundary condition, artificial recharge, pumping rate and density differences on solute transport through a homogeneous unconfined aquifer. The implications of these findings are important for managing liquid wastes.

The Effect of Artificial Recharge on Hydrochemistry: A Comparison of Two Fluvial Gravel Pit Lakes with Different Post-Excavation Uses in The Netherlands

Gravel pit lakes form when gravel deposits are excavated below the water table. We studied two fluvial gravel pit lakes called De Lange Vlieter (DLV Lake) and the Boschmolen Plas (BP Lake), in the Meuse River valley (The Netherlands). Water from the Meuse River is pumped only into the DLV Lake that is used for drinking water production. The mean values, the linear trends and seasonal patterns of time series data (2003–2014), of temperature, pH, nitrate, phosphate and sulphate were compared using one-way tests of variance and tests of differences. The effects of river water infiltration on DLV Lake are (1) a change in lake water temperature; (2) an increase in nitrate concentration (3) an increase in phosphate concentration and (4) a decrease in sulphate concentration. The effects of the air blowers in DLV Lake are (1) mixing of lake water; (2) decreasing pH in spring and summer (3) water oxygenation. Linear regression analysis shows an initially increasing nitrate concentration in DLV Lake that can be explained by the input of nitrate rich Meuse river water. Instead decreasing nitrate and phosphate concentrations in BP Lake and Meuse River reflect a diminished use of fertilizers. The gravel pit lake water temperature does not reflect climatic changes but the use of DLV Lake for artificial recharge has an impact on the seasonal and long-term trends in hydrochemistry. This poses a challenge to lake managers to find the right balance between reduction of eutrophication and accumulation of nutrients and sulphate.

Optimization of pumping rate and recharge through numerical modeling with special reference to small coral island aquifer

The groundwater is the only source of availability of fresh water in tiny coral islands. In the past decades, there has been growing demand for fresh water to meet the need of domestic besides other purposes. The aquifer system on these islands is fragile besides being subjected to various stresses like high subsurface discharge, increased abstraction, improper disposal of waste water and tidal waves of ocean all of which subject the aquifer prone to sea water intrusion and thus reduction and deterioration the water quality. Therefore, understanding the aquifer’s behavior and then work out a sustainable option for fresh water is essential. The paper concerns optimizing of pumping and artificial recharge paces to reduce the effects of various stresses over tiny and fragile lens-shaped coral island aquifer system. The density driven ground water flow was simulated using SEAWAT (MODFLOW and MT3D based computer program) model. Detailed hydrogeological investigations were carried out to determine the quantity of freshwater that could be pumped to avoid the seawater intrusion into the aquifer through modeling. Initial heads, physical parameters and boundary conditions of the study area have been defined in the model based on field data, geophysical measurements and interpretations and hydrogeological studies. The model was calibrated by obtaining a match of computed and observed values of the water table, as hydraulic head is much more sensitive to pumping rates than any other stress. A few sentences about: flow model were utilized to derive optimal pumping rate; the effect of artificial recharge through the model, has also proved that the salt-water intrusion could be stopped by raising the water level through temporarily storing the artificially recharged water post construction of subsurface dam near the coast.

Vulnerability Assessment of Seawater Intrusion and Effect of Artificial Recharge in Pondicherry Coastal Region Using GIS

An Indicator based model is described to assess and quantify the significance of vulnerability to seawater intrusion due to excessive ground water withdrawals: also to analyze the impact of artificial recharge in minimizing the seawater intrusion for coastal aquifers. Thematic maps of factors influencing the seawater intrusion and artificial recharge were prepared and overlaid using Geographical Information System (GIS). Based on GALDIT Index, the aquifer vulnerability index mapping was carried out. The distributions of the vulnerability areas for good, moderate and poor class are 32%, 45% and 23% respectively. These maps can be used as a tool for management of the coastal ground water resources. Further, the vulnerable areas are reclassified into two zones: good and poor potential areas (recharge zones). The influence of artificial recharge in pushing the freshwater-seawater interface towards the sea was simulated. For different options of surface water availability and artificial recharge, the possibility of remedial measures of seawater intrusion is estimated.

Vulnerability assessment of seawater intrusion and effect of artificial recharge in Pondicherry coastal region using GIS

An Indicator based model is described to assess and quantify the significance of vulnerability to seawater intrusion due to excessive ground water withdrawals: also to analyze the impact of artificial recharge in minimizing the seawater intrusion for coastal aquifers. Thematic maps of factors influencing the seawater intrusion and artificial recharge were prepared and overlaid using Geographical Information System (GIS). Based on GALDIT Index, the aquifer vulnerability index mapping was carried out. The distributions of the vulnerability areas for good, moderate and poor class are 32%, 45% and 23% respectively. These maps can be used as a tool for management of the coastal ground water resources. Further, the vulnerable areas are reclassified into two zones: good and poor potential areas (recharge zones). The influence of artificial recharge in pushing the freshwater-seawater interface towards the sea was simulated. For different options of surface water availability and artificial recharge, the possibility of remedial measures of seawater intrusion is estimated. Keywords: Aquifer vulnerability mapping, Sea water intrusion, GALDIT Index, Artificial recharge, GIS, Overlay

EFFECTS OF ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE ON GROUND WATER QUALITY AND AQUIFER STORAGE RECOVERY1

ABSTRACT: Ground water nitrate contamination and water level decline are common concern in Nebraska. Effects of artificial recharge on ground water quality and aquifer storage recovery (ASR) were studied with spreading basins constructed in the highly agricultural region of the Central Platte, Nebraska. A total of 1.10 million m3 of Platte River water recharged the aquifer through 5000 m2 of the recharge basins during 1992, 1993, and 1994. This is equivalent to the quantity needed to completely displace the ground water beneath 34 ha of the local primary aquifer with 13 m thickness and 0.25 porosity. Successful NO3‐N remediation was documented beneath and downgradient of the recharge basins, where NO3‐N declined from 20 to 2 mg L‐1. Ground water atrazine concentrations at the site decreased from 2 to 0.2 mg L‐1 due to recharge. Both NO3‐N and atrazine contamination dramatically improved from concentrations exceeding the maximum contaminant levels to those of drinking water quality. The water table at the site rose rapidly in response to recharge during the early stage then leveled off as infiltration rates declined. At the end of the 1992 recharge season, the water table 12 m downgradient from the basins was elevated 1.36 m above the preproject level; however, at the end of the 1993 recharge season, any increase in the water table from artificial recharge was masked by extremely slow infiltration rates and heavy recharge from precipitation from the wettest growing season in over 100 years. The water table rose 1.37 m during the 1994 recharge season. Resultant ground water quality and ASR improvement from the artificial recharge were measured at 1000 m downgradient and 600 m upgradient from the recharge basins. Constant infiltration rates were not sustained in any of the three years, and rates always decreased with time presumably because of clogging. Scraping the basin floor increased infiltration rates. Using a pulsed recharge to create dry and wet cycles and maintaining low standing water heads in the basins appeared to reduce microbial growth, and therefore enhanced infiltration.

Groundwater flow through a Miliolite limestone aquifer

Abstract This paper describes a study of groundwater flow in a coastal Miliolite limestone aquifer in western India. An examination of field information suggested that the transmissivity of the aquifer varies significantly between high and low groundwater heads. Pumping tests indicate that this is due to the development of major fissures in the upper part of the aquifer. A regional groundwater model with varying transmissivities is used to represent the field behaviour. The model is also used to examine the effect of artificial recharge on the alleviation of saline intrusion problems in the coastal area.

Hydrogeology of the lee valley and some effects of artificial recharge : Flavin, R J; Joseph, J B Q J Engng Geol, V16, N1, 1983, P65–82

Hydrogeology of the lee valley and some effects of artificial recharge : Flavin, R J; Joseph, J B Q J Engng Geol, V16, N1, 1983, P65–82

The hydrogeology of the Lee Valley and some effects of artificial recharge

Summary The Chalk and overlying Tertiary sands of the London Basin comprise the aquifer system of a classical artesian basin, confined and underlain by the London Clay and the marls of the Lower Chalk, respectively. The piezometric surface was at or near ground level until extensive over-abstraction dewatered the aquifer system. Experimental artificial recharge has been carried out in the Lee Valley at three different periods since the 1890's, the most recent experiments leading directly to a full-scale operational recharge scheme. Groundwater quality throughout the area shows considerable natural variation, closely related to the geology. The major dewatering and more recent refilling of the aquifer have led to various regional and local changes in groundwater quality, and these are discussed in relation to the hydrogeology of the system. The experimental and prototype recharge schemes have shown that large-scale, artificial recharge of this multiple aquifer system is a viable proposition; effects on groundwater quality are generally negligible except locally at two sites, where slight problems have been encountered, but these may only be temporary.