Study of the Problem of Rising Groundwater levels in Aswan City Area

Abstract

Aswan city, southern part of Egypt, is currently suffering from rising groundwater levels since 2009 due to partial discontinued pumping in some main well fields and growing urbanization in high relief areas; causing severe environmental problems hindering development activities. The present study aims to examine the changes in groundwater levels in the city using recorded data from 2012 to 2017. Numerical groundwater flow modeling is used to simulate the hydrogeological conditions of the region. Hence, the calibrated model is run to examine the solution of lowering groundwater. Inversing the groundwater rising process in the model is achieved by applying imposed abstraction rates, from eight well fields, equal to that before the rising levels problem. The adopted solution succeeded to nullify the rise in groundwater levels. However, further studies are recommended to evade negative geotechnical impacts so that the final design of an engineered solution can be set and physically implemented.

Keywords: Groundwater management, Groundwater modeling, Groundwater de-watering, Nile Valley.

DOI: 10.7176/CER/12-9-06

Publication date:September 30th 2020